


Cattails

by jadencross



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Bonding, Gen, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Revolution, Tags May Change, Wakko's Wish, if any of you ship these children i will stomp you to death with my hooves, y'all yax shippers have corrupted me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:13:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 26,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28830207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadencross/pseuds/jadencross
Summary: Nine years ago King William of Warnerstock tragically died. Nine years ago Dot Warner was dropped off at an orphanage in Lotsville.Alone.But now, after years and years and years of living isolated amongst her peers, someone who looks just like her has found her.And he says he's her brother.This fic was inspired by imbeccable's fic "separated"!
Relationships: Dot Warner & Wakko Warner, Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner, Dot Warner & Yakko Warner, Max Goof/Yakko Warner
Comments: 126
Kudos: 137





	1. Familiar Faces

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Separated](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28559088) by [imbeccable](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imbeccable/pseuds/imbeccable). 



> Hello, All! I've been working on this fic for a while now. I'm actually writing 3/4 (One of them is a prequel to a different one so I idk if I should count them separately) fic at the same time rn, so it's been going sort of slow. I wanted to write the whole thing before I started posting, esp since this one takes about three chapters to start getting to the good part, but I'm craving some validation so I'm gonna go ahead and post it now.
> 
> This fic was inspired by imbeccable's fic "separated," which you can find here:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/28559088/chapters/70513275#workskin  
> I started writing this after reading the first chapter, bc I really liked the setup, and basically I was so excited to read what came next that I went ahead and started writing my own version. I HIGHLY suggest reading their fic, before or after mine. Mine's not dependent on theirs, but it's just REALLY GOOD. 
> 
> Anyways, here's the fic!
> 
> Enjoy!

If Dot had to describe herself in one word it would be cute. 

Of course it would! She was the cutest being in the universe! The other kids at the orphanage had always been jealous of her and her cute looks. Those well off enough to afford adoption always clambered for her, wanting a child as cute as her, causing lines leading to the orphanage. Maybe that was why the other kids sabotaged her. 

Yes, if Dot had to describe herself in one word, it would be cute.

But if she had to describe herself in two?

Cute, and lonely.

She sighed, looking out the window to see the other kids playing in the first snowfall of fall. Her health had been failing, and the doctor had told her that she was supposed to stay healthy and dry for a few months so that she could heal. It had been over half a year, but the nuns still told her she wasn’t allowed to play outside with the other kids. 

Dot had been tempted to stage some sort of grand escape, but after seeing how close the other kids were and how she wasn’t part of their games at all, it didn’t seem worth it. 

She watched them, however, imagining herself playing their games, though with different kids in a different world.

She really wasn’t sure why she was still here, if she was honest. Future parents had been clamoring to have her, especially the rich. But always another child was chosen, or the parents left all together. She suspected the nuns just hated her, which she understood. 

She was quite the prankster. 

She had a nack for causing messes, and being annoying, and causing general, innocent chaos. It made her feel safe, full of joy and nostalgia in a way nothing else did. 

She always felt like she was missing something, like there should be two other people beside her, helping her pull off jokes. 

She didn’t remember her childhood verywell. At least, not before the orphanage. She just knew that she felt the absence of two people in her life like a limb. The nuns had tried to tell her that’s what all kids felt, and that the two people were her parents.

Dot wasn’t so sure. She didn’t have any proof or anything, however, so she just let it drop.

For now, she sat at the window, watching her peers play and laugh without a care in the world. 

The sun had started growing dark, and the kids had begun to get called inside when Dot spotted it.

Along the tree line, a lone figure emerged from the shadows. They had a tail, and long, thin ears. The figure was hunched over slightly, as if trying to move without being seen. They were dressed in ragged clothes, their feet uncovered and clothes in tatters. 

Dot felt her fur stand on end.

In her whole life, she had never seen another toon that looked like her. 

The figure was taller than she was by at least half a foot. She wasn’t sure why, but she got the impression that they were a boy, and a sense of familiarity filled her.

There was a strange sense of hope in her chest.

After the doors to the orphanage had closed, the figure slunk along the grounds, finally stopping at a tree near the back of the building. They climbed quickly, in a similar way to how Dot did, insinuating that this figure had claws like she did. 

Once among the branches, the figure disappeared. She tried in vain to find them, but to no avail. She had just started wondering if she should go outside, before the door to her shared room opened, bathing the now-dark room in the warm glow of the hallway.

“Dot?” her roommate called softly. “Its time for dinner.” 

Dot turned, giving a small smile. “Thanks, Babs,” she replied. 

The bunny toon held the door open, waiting for her. Dot cursed internally at Babs’s kindness. Now she couldn’t go looking for the figure. 

* * *

Dinner felt like it took forever, but Dot finally escaped. She snuck off, not even Babs following her as she made her way outside. 

It was dark now, only the moon lighting the yard. Sticking to the shadows, she snuck towards the tree she had last seen the figure in. 

At the base, she peered up, watching the branches for any sign of movement. She huffed, peeling off her gloves so that her claws wouldn’t damage them, before hopping up the tree herself. 

She wasn’t as large as the figure, so it was a bit more difficult, but Dot was stubborn. 

Eventually, she made it to the top. Panting, she looked around. 

Snow had been disturbed, meaning she hadn’t hallucinated. She could see hand and paw prints among the branches.

But no toon.

She huffed, looking around, but she couldn’t see anything. She glanced towards the roof, and her eyes widened

_ Paw prints. _

She scrambled over the branches to get closer. There were a few hand prints on the edge, as if the person had had difficulty making the jump. The paw prints lead across the roof, beyond what Dot could see in the low light.

She froze.

Was this shape an intruder? 

She ground her teeth.

Not here they weren’t! They weren’t going to hurt anyone here! If she cut them off, they wouldn’t have time to take anything, or to hurt anyone. 

She eyed the gap. It was bigger than she had realized. The taller figure had barely made it. There was no hope for Dot.

She closed her eyes. Might as well try, right?

She moved back towards the trunk, preparing herself to jump. She shook herself, the snow on her fur flying into the air. 

Just as she was about to start running, she spotted movement. 

Across the roof, the figure had returned. They climbed over the edge of the roof, landing on all fours before stopping and panting. Dot watched closely.

In the light, she could see more of the toon’s features. 

Their face was white, their eyes black dots in the blank expanse. They had a red nose, and they wore a tattered green scarf and large tan pants. They panted, their breath steaming up the air in front of them. 

After a moment, they stood, beginning to move towards Dot’s tree. She stifferend, preparing to pounce. This was perfect.

The toon reached the edge of the roof, and was preparing to jump, when Dot made her move.

With a growl, she launched herself forwards, running as fast as she could to build up momentum. 

The figure jumped, nearly losing grip on the rooftop as Dot came shooting out of the shadows towards them. Dot bared her teeth, feeling a sense of pride at catching them off guard.

That was, until she started falling.

Her eyes widened, and her clawed hands changed from attacking to grasping at the edge of the roof.

She wasn’t going to make it.

Then, she felt cold fingers grip the nape of her neck, scruffing her. She yelped, the instinctual locking of her joints only causing more terror to grip her heart.

The hand lifted her onto the roof, as she felt her heartbeat triple. She growled again, unable to speak.

“Sorry, sorry,” a voice said, and Dot’s heart froze for an entirely different reason.

She knew that voice.

Gently, she was set down on the snowy rooftop. As soon as the scruff was released, she whirled around, bristling her fur as she stood on all fours. She hissed, trying to make herself seem as big as possible.

The toon’s face fell. They lifted their hands, palms up, and put their ears back, shrinking as much as possible. 

They stared at each other for a long time. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” the toon said. voice soft. Again, Dot was hit by that tang of nostalgia. She hissed.

The toon gulped. “I’m sorry,” they said again. “I didn’t mean for it to go this way.”

“Why were you sneaking into the orphanage?” Dot growled out.

The toon’s eyes widened. “You dont…” they swallowed, eyes shining. “You don’t remember me?”

Dot paused. 

“I…” she bit her lip, studying them. Their fur, their voice, their stature...it was so familiar. “I think I might,” she finished.

The toon’s eyes lit up. “You do?” they said, voice excited in a way no one ever was when talking to Dot. “I thought you might be too young, I thought you might not remember, but if you do then that means that maybe--”

“I said I  _ might _ ,” Dot cut him off.

The toon’s mouth snapped shut. They stared for a moment.

“Can I…” they swallowed. “Can I introduce myself?” they asked, hesitantly.

Dot paused, before nodding.

The toon gave a shaky smile. “My name is Yakkanowski William Warner,” he said, and the name sparking a million warm feelings inside her. “And you, Angelia Contesta Louisa Franchesca Banana Fanana Bo Besca III, are my younger sister.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all liked it!
> 
> I took Yakko's name from the opening bit of the episode "Aquaintances" bc in that one they call Wakko "Wakkoratti" so I figured it was as close as I could get lol. 
> 
> Anyways, I don't expect to update this very soon. I have the first three chapters written, but I want the whole thing written before I start posting it so I can release it on a schedule. If I need more serotonin tho, I will definitely be posting more lol. I am also currently unemployed and I finally got my brain turned back on after graduating college (three bachelors in four years with a minor sucks major btw) and I did NaNoWriMo this year (halfway finished) so I'm writing more! Hopefully, this means that there won't be a two-year gap between chapters anymore lol..................
> 
> See you next chapter!


	2. Worn Out Places

Dot froze, memories flooding back into her mind. She remembered playing in hallways, and toys, and warm hands, and smiles, and a playmate who always let her win, and small arms that would carry her outside on warm days.

Tears began to form in her eyes, and she sniffed.

“Yakko?” she asked, her voice a quiver. “Is that really you?”

Yakko’s face broke out into a smile so wide it had to hurt. He rushed forwards, bundling Dot into his arms as the tears finally broke free. 

Dot sobbed into his chest, knowing how cold and wet he already was, but not caring. 

She had a  _ brother _ . And not just one, but _ two _ . They were who she was missing. They were the holes in her heart she couldn’t fill.

“Yakko,” she repeated, disbelief in her voice. “Yakko Yakko Yakko!” She gripped his arm and he tightened his grip on her. “Yakko, how could I have forgotten you?”

Yakko rubbed her head, gently rocking her. “You were two,” he said simply. “And no one wanted you to remember.”

Dot shook her head, pulling him closer. “I wanted to!” she cried. “I wanted to remember you and Wakko  _ so much _ !”

Yakko pulled her into his lap, running his fingers through her fur. Gently, he started purring, and it made Dot burst into sobs all over again.

No one had purred for her in forever. 

She purred back, her rumble much more halting and loud, but they harmonized. Yakko began rocking her, as she cried long and hard. 

Eventually, her tears faded to nothing but hiccups, her purr level and calm. Yakko kept rocking her gently, petting her.

“I missed you so much,” she managed. She pulled away slightly, just enough to see that the moon had risen. Babs was surely wondering where she was.

“I missed you too, baby sis,” Yakko said. She noticed that he had tears on his face too.

Dot screwed up her eyes, thinking hard. “Yakko?”

“Yeah?” 

“Where’s Wakko?”

Yakko stilled, his face falling again. “He’s in another town,” he said, voice sad. “I was…” he sighed.

He shifted his body into a more comfortable position, pulling Dot closer to him against the cold. He looked up at the stars, his purr fading away.

“Do you remember what happened?” he asked, voice soft.

Dot thought back to the last time she had seen her brothers. She remembers cold, and darkness, and tears, and screams. She remembers sounds she couldn’t recognize, but she couldn’t remember anything else.

“Not really,” she said, after a moment. 

Yakko’s face took on an emotion Dot couldn’t really recognize. 

“Thought so,” he said. He paused for a moment again. 

“Our parents were murdered,” he said finally. Dot stiffened, and he glanced down at her, offering a watery smile. “Sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t find a way to say that any gentler.”

Dot gripped his arm, nodding for him to continue.

He looked back to the stars. “The people who killed our parents...they were bad. Very bad.” He grit his teeth. “Apparently, however, they drew the line at child murder.” He paused, rubbing her shoulder again. 

“Instead, they separated us,” he continued. “They didn’t want to risk what we could do if we were together.”

Dot cocked her head. “Why?”

Yakko was silent. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, pushing forwards. “The point is, they sent each of us to different orphanages, trying to keep us apart.” He looked down at her, his eyes shining. “I was looking for you every day.”

Dot bit her lip. “And then?”

“And then, I made a friend,” Yakko said simply. “He figured out where you and Wakko were. He told me how you were doing, and that neither of you had been adopted yet.”

He turned to face her, his eyes sparkling. 

“I came to find you first, because you were closest to me. Now, we can go together to find Wakko, and get out of the horrible country at last.”

Dot frowed. “We’re leaving?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Yakko asked. “It’s dangerous here.”

“Why’s it dangerous?”

Yakko looked away again. “Everyone’s starving, Dot. Salazar and his men had run this country to the ground, and he’s not going to stop until everyone is gone. So we need to leave.”

“Why can’t we stay?” Dot insisted. He pulled away, moving to stand up. “Can’t we help people?”

Yakko bit his lip. “It’s not that simple, Dot.”

Dot stood fully, pulling away from him. She crossed her arms. “It seems simple enough to me,” she huffed.

Yakko sighed. “Fine. We can go find Wakko and talk about it later.”

Dot glared. She wanted to talk about it now. Looking at her brother’s face, however, she knew she wouldn’t be able to make any ground. She’d have to get Wakko on her side, then.

Assuming her other brother wasn’t as hard headed as this one.

“When do we leave?” she asked.

Yakko started, staring at her. “You want to come?”

Dot rolled her eyes so hard she nearly fell. “Duh, I want to come.” She gestured at the building below them. “I don’t have any friends here. The nuns hate me. I’m lonely all the time.” She crossed her arms again. 

“Plus, who wouldn’t want to stay with their brother.” Her form softened. “I missed you. I miss Wakko.”

Yakko reached out, pulling her close again. “Me too,” he whispered. 

“Me too.”

* * *

They decided to leave in the morning. 

Yakko told her that he’d been camping in the wilderness for a while, and that he wanted her to have one more day of a warm bed before they left to find their brother. Dot had rolled her eyes, and insisted that Yakko stay with her. 

Babs wasn’t very close with her, sure, but she wasn’t a tattletale. Especially when she found out it was her brother.

Dot clung to Yakko’s back as he descended the tree. They made their way to the front door. Dot directed him towards her window, situated on the second floor of the building. Yakko said he could climb to it, and Dot agreed to call for him once she got Babs settled.

With one last hug, Dot entered the orphanage. Quietly, she tiptoed up the stairs. She didn’t see any roaming nuns, but candlelight at the ends of hallways told her it was a good idea to bring Yakko in through the window. She didn’t want to be caught by any of the nuns.

She opened the door to her room quietly. Babs stirred. She was a light sleeper. 

“Dot?” she asked. 

“Hey, Babs,” Dot replied. “Um…”

“Something wrong?” Babs rubbed at her eyes. 

“I have someone for you to meet,” Dot said. “But you have to promise not to freak out or tell the nuns, okay?”

“Okay?” Babs said.

Dot walked to the window, throwing it open. She leaned out, peering into the darkness. “Yakko?” she called gently. 

Movement came from below. She heard the sound of claws scratching against the brick. She leaned back and Yakko’s hand reached the sill. With a small grunt, he pulled himself onto the ledge.

“Hi,” he said, offering a small wave. 

Babs stared. “Uhhhhhhhh--”

“He’s my brother,” Dot said quickly, suddenly aware of how this could look.

Babs’s eyes widened. “Your…?”

Yakko pulled himself all the way inside, shaking the snow off himself, and setting down a bag he must have retrieved from the woods. He stuck his hand out to the small bunny, offering a hesitant smile. “Yakko Warner. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Babs just stared at his hand. She then looked up sharply.

“If you’re her brother, why weren’t you put in the same orphanage?” she asked, acuistorialy.

Yakko smirked. “Its complicated,” he said. “I figured we all would rather be asleep.”

Babs eyed him, watching his every movement. Yakko simply watched her back.

“Babs, really, its fine,” Dot said, stepping forward. “I remember him.”

“You never remembered him before,” Babs said bluntly. Dot winced. 

“I would imagine not,” Yakko said. “She was only one the last time I saw her. Honestly, I was surprised that she remembered me at all.”

“I have another brother too,” Dot said. “Wakko.”

Babs studied Yakko again. Her eyes traced the lines of his body, catching on the rags and tail.

“Well,” she said after a while, “I guess he  _ is _ the only toon I’ve ever seen that looks like the same species.” She relaxed. “I guess I won’t rat you out.”

Dot smiled widely. “Thank you, Babs!” she said, rushing forwards and gathering Babs into a hug. After a moment, they separated.

“We’re gonna share my bed,” Dot said, pointing Yakko into the right direction, “and tomorrow we’re leaving!”

“Leaving?” Babs straightened again. “Why are you leaving?”

“To find Wakko,” Dot answered. 

Babs eyed her again. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked hesitantly. “Do you even know where he is?”

“Of course,” Yakko said, rifling through his pack. After a moment, he pulled out a small scroll of paper. Gently, he handed it to Dot. “A friend of mine figured out where my sibs were. Dot just so happened to be closer to me, so I came here first. Wakko’s a bit farther away.”

Dot rolled open the paper, revealing and map of Warnerstock. There were a bunch of symbols on it, but there was a flower drawn over Lotsville, where they currently were, and a hat drawn over another town near the border, called Acme Falls. She squinted at the map.

“Yakko, Acme Falls is practically on the other side of the country,” she said flatly.

“Well, yes,” Yakko said, stepping over to her. “But Warnerstock isn’t nearly as big as some of the countries around us.” He pointed at the map. “Plus, we can avoid the capitol.”

Dot knit her brow. “Why is that important?”

“Uhhhhhh,” Yakko looked away his tail twitching in agitation. After a moment, he said, “it has bad memories.”

Dot watched him for a second, but decided to let it slide. She looked back at the map, studying the route. “How long will it take us to get there?”

“By foot, about two months.”

Babs balked. She stood. “You can’t seriously be thinking of traveling across the country right as winter begins!” she cried. “That’s dangerous.”

“Its more dangerous to wait until spring,” Yakko said flatly. 

Babs watched him again. “Why?”

“Does it really matter?” Yakko huffed.

“It does if you’re going to take my bunkmate!” Babs said.

“Hey!” Dot interjected, “I’m making the choice to leave, too!”

Babs’s ears pulled back. “Listen, Dot,” she said, looking at the younger Warner. “I know that you want to reunite with your other brother, but last year you got really sick in the winter. And that was while living in a warm home!”

Yakko shot Dot a look, and she blushed. “The doctor said I’m all better now,” she insisted.

Babs watched her again, before sighing in defeat. “Fine,” she said. She laid down, facing towards the wall and pulling the blankets up to her chin. “If you die, that’s on you. You’ve always been too stubborn anyways.”

Dot watched her back for a moment, before looking to Yakko. His eyes were sympathetic. 

“It’s getting late, Dot,” he said softly. “We should get to bed.”

Dot nodded, stepping towards the bed. Yakko climbed in first, situating himself against the wall. Dot got in next, using his arm as a pillow. She wrapped her tail over his legs as he curled up around her, his arms and legs practically caging her in.

And yet, Dot didn’t feel trapped. 

She felt warm, and loved, and safe. Involuntarily, she started purring. Very quickly, Yakko started purring back.

Sure, Babs was right. Leaving now was dangerous, practically stupid. Curled up against her brother, she could feel the lean muscle under his skin, and how his fur was rough due to dirt and dust. The idea made her blanche, but if she was honest?

It was worth it to be back together again. 

* * *

By the time Dot woke up, Babs had already left. She opened her eyes, to find herself tucked under Yakko’s chin.

“Good morning Sleeping Beauty,” Yakko hummed. Dot pulled back and found him wide awake. “How’d you sleep?”

“It was fine,” she said. She looked around. “How long have you been awake?”

Yakko shrugged. “A while.”

Dot frowned. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Its nice being in a bed for once,” Yakko said. “I figured we could both enjoy it for a while longer.”

“So I’m right in assuming you’ve been on the road for a bit, then,” she said.

Yakko looked away. “I’ve lived more of my life as a runaway than with a home,” he said hesitantly. “That’s why when I found out where you and Wakko were, I just...left. There was no reason to wait any longer.”

Dot watched him for a moment. “Okay,” she said, causing him to look over at her in surprise. “I’ll let you keep being vague for the time being.” She pointed at him. “But don’t think that I’ll still be okay with it by the time we reach Wakko. I’ll be under your skin by then.”

Yakko broke into a grin. “Why, baby sister,” he said, sitting up as well, “don’t you know? You’ve already managed that.”

Dot glared. “I’m serious.”

“As am I,” he replied airily. 

They had a momentary staring contest, before Dot sighed. “We might as well get going, huh?”

“Might as well,” Yakko said. 

They stood, gathering their belongings. Dot had a small pack where she put what little clothes and toys she had: Two dresses, a skirt, a shawl, and a doll. She snuck downstairs, finding breakfast still going on. She went into the kitchen, finding some of the emergency preserved food, like jerky and crackers, bundling them in a handkerchief and placing them in her pack as well. 

On the way towards the door, she caught Babs’s eyes in the hallway. She gave a small smile towards the bunny’s sad eyes, and was offered one back in turn, before then slipped outside.

Quitely, she slipped into the treeline at the edge of the yard. Yakko, who had taken the window exit, met her there.

“I got some stuff,” she said, showing him the bundle. “I don’t know how much it’ll help, though.”

“No worries sister sibling,” Yakko smiled. “It’ll be nice backup. We can find plenty to eat in the great outdoors.”

Dot eyed him. “Like rabbits?”

Yakko rubbed his neck. “Perhaps.”

“Hm…” Dot looked back at the orphanage. “We should leave before they figure out I’m gone.”

“Probably,” Yakko said, not moving. 

Dot stood there, staring for a moment.

For nine years, the orphanage was the only home she had ever known. She had spent practically her whole life in the old hallways, getting doted on by the nuns and watching other kids come and go with the seasons. 

But it had never felt like  _ home _ in any true sense of the word. 

That empty feeling… Yakko’s mere presence filled part of it. It was scary, leaving the only place she ever truly remembered the halls and doors and yards of. 

But looking at her brother, who was watching her patiently, not pressuring her to move one way or the other, she knew there really was only one choice she could make.

“I’m ready,” she said. She reached out her hand, which Yakko took.

“Then off we go!” he said, his voice jovial. 

Dot found herself laughing as they began skipping amongst the trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> So I figure that the overlap between this fic and my other one, The Backstory, is very minor, but I've decided to devote most of my energy currently to that fic first. This fic is not abandoned, I just expect that there will be a longer wait between chapters. I'm still very excited for this story, I just got a job and am going to have less time and energy for writing.
> 
> I figured I would post what I have before dissapearing into the night for a while lol
> 
> See you next chapter!


	3. Awkward

It had only taken half a day for Dot’s feet to start hurting. She didn’t say anything, afraid it would worry Yakko, but it turned out that his big brother instincts had not faded with time.

“You should say something next time,” and said as he gathered firewood from amongst the trees. 

“I didn’t want to slow you down,” she said, fiddling with the edges of her skirt.

“You aren’t slowing me down,” Yakko said. “You’re just not used to walking this much.” He moved closer, sitting down next to her. “When I first got out, I had issues walking this far, too. You’ll get used to it. But you’ll hurt yourself if you keep pushing yourself too much.”

Dot watched his face. She could see worry, and frustration, and fear deep in those black eyes. “Okay,” she said.

He nodded, getting up to keep working on making camp. Dot sat silently, watching him work. She tried to pay attention, hoping to figure out what he was doing and how to help him, but he was moving so fast and with so much ease that Dot figured she would just get in the way. 

She felt awkward, watching him work. His movements were quick and steady. Clearly, Yakko had done this thousands of times. He looked at home and prepared in a way Dot had never really felt herself.

Finally, she couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“So,” she started, feeling like her voice was a sledgehammer, “what have you been doing all these years?”

Yakko turned to her, his hands still doing...whatever he was doing. Something with a stick. 

“Uhhhhhhh,” he said, clearly thinking. He turned back to the stick. A couple of seconds later, a fire had started. “A lot of things,” he said eventually.

“Cool,” Dot said. “Like, what?”

Yakko sat back on his feet, watching the fire. “Like, living in the woods. Running around. Stuff like that.”

Dot frowned. “Are you gonna be this vague forever?”

Yakko shrugged. He stood, wiping the dirt from his slacks. 

“I’m gonna go hunting,” he said, grabbing some rope from his pack. He looked at Dot. “Make sure the fire stays lit.” He pointed to some sticks he had gathered. “If it starts to die, put those in there. Just make sure not to put them directly in front of the flame or it’ll suffocate.”

With that, he turned and walked into the trees. Dot huffed.

Already, this wasn’t going how she expected.

Thinking about it logically, of course it wasn’t. Sure, Yakko was her brother, and when they were children they were inseparable, but that was  _ nine years ago _ . Dot had been one. She had been so young she didn’t even know for sure how old her brothers were, just that they were older than her.

Of  _ course _ they couldn’t just pick up where they last left off. Dot hadn’t even been old enough to speak properly. They had both grown up. They had experiences that were so vastly different. 

From what Dot could tell, Yakko probably hadn’t even lived with people for the majority of his life. Dot has been ostracized, in the orphanage, so she wasn’t that much better.

She watched the fire, thinking.

Would this entire journey be this awkward? Would finding Wakko make it better? Worse? Would she always feel this inferior about her ability to help? Would she always feel helpless? Would she always feel like there was a sheet of glass separating her from her brother?

Dot crossed her arms, frowning.

_ Fine _ , she decided, lifting her chin.  _ If Yakko isn’t experienced in forming relationships, then I’ll do it myself. _

* * *

Dot had started running low on sticks by the time Yakko came back. 

He held a few squirrels in his hand, and there was a bit of blood on his face. He was wiping it away on his arm as he approached, more firewood under his arm. 

“Hey there, sister sibling,” he greeted, kneeling by the fire. “I found us some grub.”

Dot fought back the desire to cringe. She’d had squirrel before, but she’d never seen fresh kill. “Thanks,” she said. 

Yakko looked at her, his eyes dark with worry. “Ah,” he said after a moment. “Not used to it, huh?”

Dot swallowed, shaking her head. 

“Sorry,” he said. She stood, looking around them. “I’ll go clean them somewhere else.”

Dot pushed forward, grabbing his other hand. He stopped, looking back.

“Teach me,” she said. 

Yakko frowned. “You want to learn how to skin a squirrel?”

Dot swallowed again, nodding. 

“Are you sure?” he asked again. “You look kinda--”

“Just teach me already,” Dot whined.

Yakko shrugged. “Okay, but if you throw up you have to do it in the trees.”

“Deal.”   


* * *

Dot didn’t throw up. She felt like she might, but she didn’t. 

Learning how to survive was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'm gonna focus on The Backstory  
> Also me, immediately afterwards: Cattails tho...
> 
> Anyways, I'm sort of jumping between the two ig. Sorry this chapter was so short. I'm already working on the next chapter. Since I'm writing so many fics rn, if I get stuck on where to proceed I just jump to another fic. That's what happened here lol
> 
> See you next chapter!


	4. Shopping Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have given up all pretenses of getting this fic betaed at all anymore lol

“Like this?” Dot asked, holding the sticks together. 

Yakko studied her hands, adjusting her upper one slightly before nodding. “Go for it.”

Dot began rubbing, and soon enough a few sparks lit in the grass. Excited, Dot began to blow, and before she knew it a small fire had broken out. 

She reached for a stick, placing it above, and watching in awe as it lit.

“You did it!” Yakko cried, hugging her. “Great job!”

Dot grinned. It had been about a week since they had left Lotsville. She had gotten stronger, able to walk more and more every day. Every night, she had asked Yakko to teach her something. So far, she knew how to make a shelter, how to skin and cook different animals, how to tie knots, and, now, how to start fires. 

Every skill filled her with pride. She had a feeling of agency she had never felt before, and working alongside her brother had helped them bond. 

While Yakko taught her how to survive, she asked questions they would both answer.

What was his favorite color? Lilac. Dot’s was pink.

What was his favorite food? Yakko said he loved sweet bread but didn’t get it often. Dot said pie. 

What games did he like playing? He liked Blackjack. Dot liked poker.

How old were they? Apparently, Yakko was 14, about to turn 15. Wakko was 11, and Dot was 10. 

Did he have any crushes? 

“Hey now,” Yakko said, laughing as he ate his fish, “even if I told you you wouldn’t know who it was!”

Dot raised an eyebrow, smiling. “So you  _ do _ have a crush.”

Yakko’s face heated. “And what if I do?” he leaned forward. “Do  _ you _ ?”

Dot shook her head. “Not yet. But I plan to steal your girl.”

Yakko laughed again. “Glad to know we’re in the same camp,” he said. “And he’s a guy.”

Dot narrowed her eyes. “Then I’ll just have to find my own.”

Yakko laughed again.

* * *

Before Dot knew it, a full month had passed. Yakko had taught her to fish, and hunt. It had been hard at first. Yakko had offered to get her a hunting knife instead of using their more animalistic features, things many toons were nervous to use. Dot had refused. After all, knives needed to be sharpened. Her claws and fangs did not.

By this point, she was very confident in her ability to survive in the wilderness. At least, wilderness close to civilization. Yakko had taught her how to scout materials in trash cans, and how to panhandle for money for treats when morale was low.

The two were doing great, all things considered. The winter was mild all things considered, and sleeping with Yakko curled up around her was incredibly warm. They even still had a few sticks of jerky from the Lotsville orphanage.

They were about halfway through their journey, meaning they were near the middle of the country. Yakko had taken them around the capitol, but the cities were still fairly large, this close to the castle. 

As they walked down the streets, hand in hand, Dot stared in awe at the large buildings around her.

She had never seen so many people. She had never seen houses so dense, or tall. She had never seen cobblestone streets, and she had never seen so many buggies. 

Sure, by now she was used to seeing smaller towns, but ones like the one they were in were still a wonder.

Dot frowned. Speaking of which…

“Finland,” Yakko said with a laugh.

Dot knit her brow. “Isn’t that a country?”

“Yep,” Yakko said, swinging their arms. “Sometimes towns steal the names of countries for one reason or another.”

Dot looked down, thinking. “It’s weird,” she said.

“Who says weird is bad?” Yakko said. He paused at a corner, looking around. After a second, he pulled Dot along down another alley.

“It should be around here,” he said, mostly to himself. 

Dot just followed along. After sleeping in an alleyway last night, Yakko had awoken her to say that he had a plan for today. They had pon handled yesterday, so Dot assumed it had something to do with money, but she wasn’t sure. 

Finally, Yakko made a final turn, before stopping.

“Aha!” he said, letting go of Dot’s hand to gesture widely at the street. He turned to Dot. “My dearest sister, may I present to you: the Finland Markets.”

He stepped aside, and Dot gasped.

She had  _ never _ seen a market so big. 

There were shops in front of stores in front of street vendors. People milled about, bright colors and glittering metals and jewels shining in the light. She could see tapestries, and beautiful clothes. Suits of armor and swords and bracelets that jangled. There were animals she had never seen before, and carts she didn’t recognize. There were people selling honey, and bread, and cakes, and fancy cheeses.

Dot stared in awe, taking in the scene. It was so  _ beautiful _ . She could see so many different textiles and patterns. Toons and humans milled about, uncaring of who they stood next to. The smell of baked goods wafted towards her.

“Cool, isn’t it?” Yakko said, his voice light. 

Dot turned to him, her eyes shining. “This is so cool.”

Yakko laughed. “Sure is, sister sibling.” He put his hand on her shoulder, gently leading her into the crowd. 

That shook Dot out of her reprieve. “Wait, we’re going in there?”

“Sure are,” he said, continuing to push her forward. “We did good last night, so I figured today would be a good day to get you a better backpack.”

Dot’s face lit up even brighter.

The bag she had taken from the orphanage had to be a hand-me-down hand-me-down. It was probably older than Dot was, and it was falling apart. The two had gotten so nervous about how much longer it would last that they had taken to putting most of their belongings in Yakko’s bag, which, if they were being honest, was only slightly better. 

Yakko put his hands one both of her shoulders, leading her ahead of him as they went through the market. Dot marveled at the shops, while Yakko seemed to be pretty familiar with the layout of the streets. He easily dodged the other people, leading them a few corners over before finally coming to a stop in front of a plain door.

“Here we are!” he said, letting go of Dot’s shoulders and stepping up beside her.

Dot frowned. This place looked…

Well, this place looked bad. The walls were cracking, the doorway stained. Unlike other shops, this one had no merchandise outside. The windows were boarded up, and it was off the main drag of the market. 

She looked at Yakko. He smiled in return.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, sis,” he said, before stepping forward and gently pushing the door open.

Immediately, the scent of foreign spices and fresh flowers assaulted her nose. She stepped forward, seeing shiny rocks and beautiful tapestries, jewelry made of gold and silver and clothes made of the finest purple velvet.

Dot gasped, running towards a deep violet cape across the room. Its clasp was silver, and it had an emblem of two swords and a flower engraved upon it. Gently, she ran her fingers over the fabric, feeling her fur brush against the soft silk. 

“Yakko!” a deep, strangely accented voice called, and Dot turned to see a large toon lumber out of the back of the store. 

They were a hippo, large and round. He wasn’t wearing anything, but he was wiping down his hands on a rag as he came up to the counter. 

“It is so nice to see you again, my friend!” the toon said, a big grin on his face. 

Yakko smiled back. “Great to see you again too, Flavio. How’s the Missus?”

“Oh, she is as beautiful and lovely as always,” Flavio said. “She is getting her beauty rest upstairs, as any jewel demands.” 

Dot gently let go of the cape, moving over towards Yakko. Flavio’s eyes caught her, and widened.

“And who is this cute thing?” he asked, peering towards Dot.

“I’m Dot,” she said, fighting the urge to hide behind her brother. Flavio was just so...large. In every sense of the word.

Flavio’s eyes widened anymore. He looked back at Yakko. “Is this the sister you were talking about?” he asked.

Yakko nodded, putting an arm around Dot’s shoulder. “She is indeed,” he said, his voice warm. 

Flavio leaned back, setting his hands on his stomach and laughing. “Good, good!” he said. “I am happy for you, my friend. I know how much you longed to find her.” He leaned forward, setting his elbow on the counter. “Have you also found your brother?”

“I know where he should be,” Yakko replied. 

“Good!” Flavio said again. “Where is he?”

“Acme Falls,” Yakko said. 

Flavio puffed. “Oh, quite the dangerous way for someone such as you two, hm?” 

“Better than the capitol,” Yakko replied easily. 

Flavio’s eyes glittered in mirth. “Oh, surely not  _ everything _ in the capitol is worth avoiding?”

Dot could feel the heat rolling off her brother, and looked up to see him blushing. He coughed. 

“Anyways,” Yakko said, swishing his tail, “we’re looking for some goods.”

Flavio smiled in triumph, straightening. He came around the counter, his eyes catching on Dot’s bags. “I assume it is to replace that carcass that you would call a carrying bag,” he said with disgust. He looked to Yakko. “And I should probably get you a new one as well, hm? The last one I gave you was taken again I see.”

Yakko’s ears went back. “We only really have the money for Dot, so--”

Flavio snorted, making Dot jump. He straightened, looking at Yakko in disapprovement. “You know well that your money is best spent elsewhere, my friend.” 

He turned, stepping towards a curtain in the back of the store. Inside, Dot could see a large room full of different, beautiful bags. 

“As always, it is on the house,” Flavio said, smiling. “I cannot stand the idea of ones such as yourselves getting anything but the best of my goods.” He winked. “Besides, I’m sure someday you will see my treasures as nothing but mere trinkets.”

Dot rushed forwards into the room. Before her was a veritable rainbow, fabrics of every shape and color and texture. Some were covered in gems, other in belts. There were accents of metal and paint and fine embroidery. There were satchels, and fanny packs, and waist belts, and backpacks, and any manner of bag one could possibly want. 

“Now Dot,” Yakko said, his voice very close to her. “Remember, our main goal here is to blend in. Having a bag made of gold and jewels is only going to make us targets.”

Dot huffed, crossing her arms. “I know,” she said, dejected. 

“As logical as ever,” Flavio sighed. He moved into the room, heading towards a corner Dot hadn’t really seen before, too caught up in everything that glittered. 

Leaning down, he grabbed two bags from a shelf, before turning around and presenting them to the Warners. They were simple bags, made of durable leather. If one looked closely, they would see the fine craftsmanship, but to a distant onlooker it would look no different than that of any other traveler. 

“This is your brother’s preferred model,” Flavio said, handing one of the packs to Yakko. “I assume you would like it for the same reasons. Here, let me show you.”

Flavio knelt on one knee, holding the bag out to Dot. She dropped her old bad and moved forward, and he set the bag on her shoulders. The bag dragged to the ground, clearly too large for her. 

“Uh,” she started, but Flavio cut her off. 

“This is the feature, my dear,” he said. His hands began messing with the straps. The bag tightened, and within moments it fit perfectly on her back. Dot pulled on the straps in wonder, looking at the different clasps and locking mechanisms built-in.

“It’s a bag built for growing,” Flavio said proudly. “The bag can be adjusted to fit both the size of the wearer and the size of the cargo. It's well made, and can last a lifetime if well taken care of.” He sighed, looking at Yakko. “It really  _ is _ such a shame they keep taking them from you.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of kids wearing your wares,” Yakko said darkly. 

Dot looked between the two of them, before shrugging. She liked the bag, the straps incredibly comfortable on her shoulders. She took the bag off, moving her belongings from her old sack and into the new one. She picked it up again, feeling the weight shift. It was significantly more comfortable than her old bag.

“I like it,” she said, looking up at Yakko and smiling. “You have good taste after all.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Yakko said. He had already started transferring packs as well. 

Once they were both suited up, and Flavio had thrown their old bags into the garbage with a look of disgust, they moved out into the front room again.

“Thank you, Flavio,” Yakko said, smiling at the larger toon. “You’ve done a lot for me.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Dot added, smiling as well.

“It is no problem, my friend,” Flavio said. He knit his brow. “But why does it feel as if you are saying goodbye?”

Dot sighed, crossing her arms. Yakko shuffled uneasily next to her. 

“Well,” he said, slowly, “I have Dot now, and we’re on the way to find Wakko, and Acme Falls is really close to the border so I was planning to just…”

Flavio’s face softened. He leaned forward, his voice much calmer than it had been all day. “My friend, are you sure?”

Yakko nodded. “It’s just...it's not safe here for us. I just don’t think that it...worth the risk.” He winced with the last few words. 

Flavio frowned. “I do not think you are selfish to want to protect your siblings,” he said. He glanced at Dot. “But I feel that you must ask them what they want as well.”

Dot brightened. Flavio winked. 

Yakko sighed. “We can discuss it when we’re not here.”

Flavio leaned back, shrugging his shoulders. “If your siblings are near as much trouble as you are, my friend, you may not have that option.”

A loud banging sound cut Yakko off from any response. Flavio and Yakko turned towards the counter, from which a purple hippo toon very similar to Flavio emerged. Her face was worried, and her wore a sheer nightgown. 

“Oh, Yakko, I just knew you were here,” he said, her voice accented just like Flavio’s. 

“What is wrong, my love?” Flavio said, moving towards the other toon.

“The guards,” she said, looking towards the Warners. “It appears that they were waiting for you.”

“I see,” Flavio said, looking at the two. “I am beginning to believe that this is why they keep taking your bags.”

“How close are they, Marita?” Yakko asked, his tail lashing. 

“They are in the street, mere moments away,” Marita replied. “Hurry, you must go.”

Yakko nodded, grabbing Dot’s hand and pulling her towards Martia. They slipped into the back room, and up a flight of stairs that must have been what Marita was banging down. As they reached the top of the stairs, they heard the front door slam open.

“Where is he,” a deep voice growled from the distance, but Yakko had pulled Dot too far away to hear the response.

Quietly, Yakko brought her into a room with a window. Crouching, he snuck towards the window, peeking outside for a moment. He turned to Dot. 

“How good are you at climbing sheer surfaces with nothing but your claws?”

“Uhhhhhhh,” Dot said, completely thrown off.

Yakko grabbed her, wrapping her arms around his chest. “Just hold on. I don’t care if you claw me, just  _ don’t let go _ .”

Dot nodded, wrapping her legs around him, too, as he climbed onto the window sill. He pulled the window open, just as they heard angry footsteps on the stairs. 

Yakko jumped, catching his claws in the loose areas in the brick and pulling them upwards faster than Dot had ever seen him move. 

He pulled them over the edge of the roof moments before they heard voices coming from the window. 

“Did he jump?” a voice called. 

Yakko stood, adjusting Dot so her arms wrapped around his shoulders, before beginning to sprint across the rooftop. 

Dot tensed as they neared the ledge, her mind flashing back to the last time she tried to jump a roof.

Yakko, however, had apparently had plenty of practice. He cleared to the other roof with ease, his pace not slowing down. He kept going, running over building after building as fast as he could go. 

Looking down, Dot could see guards and knights out in full force, questioning people and searching around the marketplace. There were more than she had ever seen in her life, and no matter how far Yakko ran they didn’t seem to thin.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Dot started to question why they cared about her brother that much. Flavio had mentioned people taking his bags, was it these guards? What had her brother done?

Yakko jumped another roof, but this time he landed wrong. He let out an “oof!” as his leg collapsed and he rolled on the rooftop. Dot’s grip was loosened, and she slid a bit farther across the roof. 

Yakko pulled himself to his feet, wincing as he put pressure on his left foot. 

As Dot got to her feet, he limped towards her.

“I don’t think we can take rooftops anymore,” he panted. He got on his knees, looking over the edge. 

“There’s a horse.” He pointed down below them. “We can take it and ride out of the city.”

“Won’t they be able to follow the hoofprints?” Dot asked, not feeling comfortable stealing a horse. 

“We won’t take the horse the whole way, just part of it,” he said. “And once we’re free we can send it somewhere else so they follow the wrong tracks.”

Hesitantly, Dot nodded. Clearly, Yakko wasn’t in the shape to run at the moment. 

Shakily, Yakko got to his feet. He moved towards an alleyway that was free of guards, swinging his body over the edge and looking at Dot. 

“Can you get down on your own?” he asked. 

Dot nodded, getting into the same position. 

This time, she made it down faster, mostly due to being able to use both her feet. 

Once on the ground, Yakko leaned around the corner, watching the guards. 

“Okay, I’ll go out there and grab the horse,” he said. “You stay here. I’ll ride the horse past the alleyway and that’s when you’ll jump on.”

Dot frowned. “I want to help you get the horse.”

Yakko shook his head. “We can’t risk them knowing you’re with me. They might figure out I’m getting the two of you, and they’ll get to Wakko before us.”

Dot stared at him for a moment.

“Yakko,” she said, “what did you do?”

Yakko looked sharply at her, his brow knit. 

“Just do what I say right now,” he said, and then slipped into the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this ended so abruptly! I'm gonna be going on a long family car ride tomorrow so hopefully I finish this scene. I was planning on doing it all in one go but I really wanted to post what I have so far. I'm also tired and just want to get this out into the world lol
> 
> Anyways, see you next chapter!!


	5. The Getaway

Dot watched nervously from the alleyway as Yakko crept up the street. He kept low to the ground, moving as quickly as he could with a hurt ankle. 

After what felt like hours, but was probably only a minute or so, he reached the horse. 

Quickly, he began untying it, his hands expertly undoing the complicated knot that would have stumped Dot. 

She knit her brow again. Things that she had before taken as nothing but things he had learned on the road were now suspect. Why would Yakko have experience with horses, if he wasn’t some master thief?

“There!”

Dot’s fur stood on end as Yakko was spotted. 

Immediately, guards started converging on him, the horse neighing nervously.

Yakko growled, trying to get on the horse, but his ankle twinged and he stumbled. 

A guard drew a sword on him, the point mere inches from his face.

“Don’t try anything,” the guard said, his voice gruff.

Yakko panted, looking around at the three guards that surrounded him, even more on the way. 

He smiled.

“No can do, sir,” he said, straightening. “I’ve got places to be.”

He lifted his arm, using the palm of his hand to hit the flat side of the sword.

Surprised, the guard dropped his sword, which Yakko quickly kicked away. He pulled the guard close, jumping onto him to boost himself onto the horse. 

He settled quickly, spurring the horse forward as he swung his other leg over. 

The horse whinnied, taking off towards Dot. 

Dot readied herself, as the guards tried to recover from Yakko’s quick movements.

As the horse neared, Yakko leaned down, reaching for Dot. 

She ran forward, jumping to take Yakko’s hand.

Her arms twinged uncomfortably as he yanked her up in front of him. The horse had no saddle, so Dot’s inexperience on a horse was only that much more dangerous.

Yakko grabbed the reins that were dangling to the side, spurring the horse even faster.

They blazed through the streets, humans and animals and toons jumping out of their way. Distantly, they heard the sound of hooves and the shouts of guards. 

Yakko didn’t look back, directing the horse through the streets. 

Eventually, the buildings became smaller, the houses less taken care of. They thundered on dirt roads now, and then they were in the woods.

* * *

Yakko didn’t slow down until the shadows across the trail. The sounds of their pursuers had faded away long ago, and by the time the horse came to a trot it was panting heavily. 

After a few more moments and letting the horse catch its breath, Yakko sighed, finally relaxing around Dot.

She was exhausted. Her butt was sore, and her head hurt from all the bouncing. 

They walked slowly in silence, just settling down after their escape. 

The sun had slipped below the horizon by the time Yakko pulled the horse to a stop. 

He slid off the horse, favoring his ankle, before helping Dot down as well. 

“There’s a river that runs parallel to this road,” he said, sounding exhausted. “It’s got plenty of grass and water for the horse.”

He took the reigns, beginning to limp towards the trees. 

Dot frowned, rushing forward and riping the reigns from Yakko’s hand. The horse startled slightly, but was too tired to do much else. Yakko’s eyes widened.

“You don’t have to do everything, Yakko,” Dot said, pulling the horse along behind her. “Isn’t that what I’ve been trying to get through your thick skull for the past month?”

Yakko chuckled lowly. “I suppose you’re right, sis.”

They walked through the woods for a bit, Dot sneaking glances at Yakko and making sure they were moving slowly enough that he could keep up. 

They eventually reached a clearing full of long grass, with a clear running river cutting through the grass. 

Dot heard a thump, and turned to see Yakko had plopped himself down in front of a tree on the clearing’s edge. He leaned back, resting his head against the bark and closing his eyes.

The horse moved towards the river, and Dot hesitantly let the reins go. They were only borrowing it, after all. 

The horse drank it’s fill, then began chomping at the grass. It looked happy, and it didn’t stray too far.

Dot moved to sit next to her brother. He looked like he was asleep, but she knew that he wasn’t. She curled up, wrapping her arms and tail around her legs. She watched the horse for a bit, then spotted Yakko’s bag on the ground. She thought she remembered him having first aid supplies. 

She reached for the bag, and began rooting around inside of it. 

He had a lot of things in there; rope, a bed roll, food, a couple knives for skinning and cleaning kill, and a couple of gold items that made her raise her eyebrows. She looked at her brother, but she knew he would be able to wiggle out of any questions she had at the moment.

Finally, at the bottom of the bag, she found it. A couple rolls of bandages, and a bottle of painkillers. 

She swallowed one of the painkillers herself before moving towards Yakko. He started awake when she touched his foot.

“I figured you would prefer doing this now than in the morning,” Dot deadpanned.

Yakko frowned. “I can do it.”

Dot poked his ankle.

“Fine, fine.” He settled back against the tree.

Dot wrapped it like the nuns always used to when kids would get hurt at the orphanage. He winced when she pulled it tight, but then relaxed. Dot propped his foot up on his pack. 

She offered him the painkillers. 

Yakko looked at them with disgust. “I’m gonna hurt myself more if I have those, you know.”

Dot rolled her eyes. “It’s to help you sleep, dingus.”

He sighed, taking the offered pill. 

Next, Dot pulled out some of the jerky, offering some of it to Yakko. He took it without issue, and they sat in silence, watching the horse graze. 

Soon, soft snores began emanating from Yakko. Dot smiled, moving closer. She curled into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. 

She looked up at the stars, seeing them glitter. The soft sounds of the forest, and the gentle blowing of the breeze calmed her. 

Tomorrow, she would have to ask Yakko why he was being persued. She would have to ask why Dot and Wakko were in danger. She would have to ask where he got the gold in his pack. 

But tonight? 

Tonight, she slept curled next to her big brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in (technically) the same day!! Some might say I actually have motivation!
> 
> As I said, I'm on a long car trip, so after writing this chapter I'm gonna be taking a break, but it's only a day trip so I'm only on the first leg lol
> 
> Hopefully I'll have more up later!
> 
> See you next chapter!


	6. Trust

Dot woke to the feeling of something wet being dragged across her face.

Blearly, she straightened, feeling the bark of the tree digging into her back. She rubbed her eyes, feeling the slime that was left over from whatever had touched her. 

She looked at her hand before glancing up and seeing the horse standing right in front of her. The horse seemingly smiled, before licking her face again.

Dot screeched, bolting upright. She heard laughing from the river, and noticed Yakko waist-deep in the water. 

“Good morning,” he said, his face relaxed. 

Dot growled, dashing across the clearing and diving into the water. Yakko sputtered as the wave crashed into his face, and Dot stood on the bottom of the river and gave him a look of satisfaction.

“Rude,” Yakko said, picking a bit of algae off his nose. “ _ I _ didn’t lick you.”

“You would have,” Dot said matter-of-factly. 

Yakko shrugged, standing. And moved towards the shore, shaking himself off like a dog once he was out. 

Dot grumbled, but went to washing herself. When she was done she shook herself out as well, though with more care than her brother. By the time she made it to the tree they were set under, Yakko had already set to rewrapping his ankle. 

She leaned down, taking the bandage from his hands. He grumbled, but let her work.

It was less swollen than the day before; a full night’s rest would do that for you. He still hissed when she touched it, and he probably wouldn’t be able to walk on it very well for a few days. 

Dot glanced over her shoulder. It sure was a good thing the horse decided to hang around.

“I can help you get on the horse,” she said, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder.

Yakko frowned, knitting his brow. He looked down at his ankle, his ears back, before sighing.

“You know best, sis.”

It was hard getting someone on a horse who was twice your size, but they managed.

* * *

They had stopped for the day, once again resting by the river, when Dot finally brought it up. 

“So what did you do?”

Yakko looked up from eating the rabbit Dot had caught. “Huh?”

Dot rolled her eyes. 

“What did you do to anger the king that much?”

Yakko watched her for a second, before turning back to his food. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, taking a bite.

Dot’s tail twitched. “I think it does, if it affects our safety in getting to Wakko,” she replied.

Yakko just sat there, eating. He didn’t look at her, didn’t move. His ears were back, but otherwise he gave no indication she was there.

_ That’s it _ .

Dot stood, throwing her food onto the blanket they had rolled out. 

Yakko’s eyes widened as he looked at the discarded food, before Dot was standing in front of him.

Her tail was lashing from side to side, her gaze  _ murderous _ .

“I’m  _ done _ ,” she said, tone dripping with venom. 

Yakko tried to hide a wince. “Done with what?”

“Done with  _ that _ !” she yelled, letting her anger boil over. “You always brush off my questions, or pretend I didn’t ask them, or change the subject. You never give me a straight answer about what you’ve been doing in the past  _ nine years _ ! You won’t even tell me why the King sent his  _ guards _ after you!”

She panted, turning away and storming off a few steps before turning back. “If you don’t trust me, just say it! If you think I can’t handle it, just say it to my face!” Tears were streaming down her face now. “You’re my  _ brother _ , Yakko! I left the only home I  _ remember _ for you! I won’t abandon you just because you’re a criminal!” 

She sniffed, looking up towards the sky, feeling the anger beginning to fade. “I don’t get why you can’t trust me,” she sobbed. “I don’t understand why you think that I don’t love you. I’ve done everything I  _ could _ to bond with you, but you still keep me at arm’s length.” 

She looked back at her brother, who’s eyes were wide as saucers. “A month ago, I thought I had finally gotten my brother back. But now?” She hiccuped. “Now I know he’s still not there.”

She sank to her knees, curling up to cry on herself, but almost immediately she found her way blocked. 

Yakko hugged her, lifting her onto his lap and holding her close. Gently, he rocked her, petting her head as she let out a month’s worth of frustration and anger. A month’s worth of loneliness. A month’s worth of fruitlessness.

Eventually, the tears dried up, and she found herself able to breathe. She quieted down, and then Yakko started to purr hesitantly. Dot shook in his arms, just letting him rock her, but unable to purr back. 

“I’m sorry,” Yakko said softly once Dot had quieted. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”

He shifted, pulling her closer. 

“I didn’t mean to make you think I don’t trust you,” he said. “Or that I don’t love you, or want you near me. Because I  _ do _ . I traveled across the country for you. I want you here.”

Dot sniffled. “Then why?”

Yakko was silent for a moment. 

“I’m afraid,” he said. “I’m afraid of losing you.”

Dot pushed away and straightened, looking into his eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t leave you, didn’t I?”

Yakko’s face was puffy, and tears were still fresh on his face fur. He gave a watery smile. 

“You did,” he replied. He looked down. “I’m not worried about you leaving me, I’m afraid about you being taken.” 

He took a deep breath, looking into the sky.

“I want to tell you.” 

Dot knit her brow and he looked down quickly. 

“I do, I promise,” he said. “I just…”

He bit his lip. 

“It’s hard, Dot.” His voice was barely a whisper. “Things are difficult. And I can’t tell you. Not because I can’t trust you, but because what knowing would do to you. About what a target it will make you.”

Dot snorted. “I don’t need plausible deniability,” she said. “I’m too cute to go to jail.”

Yakko smiled again, this time more genuine. “Sure,” he said. 

He frowned. 

“I’m not a criminal,” he said. “At least, not in the way you think I am. I’ve never stolen anything.”

“Then what about those things in the bag?” Dot asked. 

Yakko glanced at the bag, surprised. “Oh, you saw that?”

“When I was getting the bandages,” she said. “We’re so strapped for cash that I would assume you would have sold something like that by now.”

Yakko smiled, looking at her. “No,” he said. “Those are yours and Wakko’s.”

Dot cocked her head. “Huh?”

“They’re gifts from our parents,” he said. “I’ve been…” He bit his lip again, before sighing. 

“I ran away from my orphanage after a year,” he admitted. 

Dot’s eyes widened. 

“I lost my whole family, I couldn’t live without them. So I ran away.” He looked to the stars again. “I made it back to our...our house, but our parents’ murderer had moved in. He took me to another orphanage.”

Yakko’s face darkened. “I ran away again. I told people about the murderer, and they tried to help me.” He deflated slightly. “The murderer killed them, too.”

Dot felt her heart drop. Yakko leaned back, putting his arms out behind him to help recline. 

“He decided I was too much of a blabbermouth, so he ‘took me in.’” He spit the words out. “He kept me in our old home, but this time as a prisoner. I stayed there for probably two years before I managed to escape.”

“That’s awful,” Dot said quietly. 

“Yeah,” Yakko said. “The murderer still wanted me kept, though, so I wouldn’t tell. So he got the guards to search for me. I managed to avoid them for two months before I got caught again.”

Yakko lowered himself to be flat on the ground, using his hands as a pillow under his head. 

“He kept me for about three years that time,” he continued. “When I got out I managed to make it a full year before he caught me again.” He smirked. “I’d gotten good at getting out, though, so he barely held me a year. I’ve managed to stay under the radar since.”

Dot sat there, watching her brother’s face. Under the moonlight, he looked so much older than 14. His fur was ragged and unclean, the white on his face not as bright at Dot’s had been when she’d been at the orphanage. One of his ears was crooked, the fur around his muzzle was a different texture than the rest of his face, and he had small scars she hadn’t noticed before. 

She bit her lip. 

“Okay.”

Yakko’s ears perked, and he looked at her.

“Okay,” Dot said again, louder this time. “Thank you.”

Yakko smiled. “No problem, sib.” He laid back down, his gaze looking a million miles away again. “I’ll tell you and Wakko who he is once we’re out of his awful country.”

“Okay,” Dot said. After a moment, she climbed off her brother, laying next to him. He pulled her so her head was on his chest, curling around her. 

Before too long, he was asleep.

Dot, meanwhile, was thinking.

How could their parents’ murderer get ahold of the royal guard unless he was someone of high status. Why, also, would he move into their house, unless it was really nice? And why would their parents give them gifts of gold unless they had a lot of money?

Dot had always believed that her parents had been too poor to take her in. The destitution of the country as a whole had always made that the most likely situation. Once Yakko showed up and said they were murdered, that hadn’t really changed. People get murdered for tons of things. Stupid, stupid things. 

But with this information, it was looking like their family was nobility. They were probably a wealthy family, who were invited to the palace all the time. 

Dot thought back, remembering fireplaces and gold and good meals, and she wished, for probably the millionth time, that her parents hadn’t been killed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to dm me on tumblr at Jadencross! I wrote the next chapter and edited this bc I had a dream about Max in this lol
> 
> See you next chapter!


	7. Befriending the Horse

“At this point I think we should name the horse,” Yakko said.

It was a new day, all their tears dried by the nighttime air. Dot looked up from packing her bag to see Yakko with one hand on his hip and the other on his chin, studying the horse.

The horse just watched him back. It snorted.

“What about Jennifer?” 

Dot screwed up her face. “Ew, no. It’s much more dignified than that.”

“She,” Yakko said, turning to her with a smile. “You can tell when a horse is a boy very easily.”

Dot shrugged. “What about Evie? Stella? Babushka?”

The horse snorted. Dot took that as a no.

“Maisy? Natalie? Megan? Susan? Ashley?” The horse was no more impressed with Yakko’s names.

“Uh,” Dot glanced at the plants. “Lily? Daisy? Marigold?”

“Potato?”

Dot cut her eyes to Yakko. He shrugged.

“Hey, she didn’t like anything else.” He knit his brow. “Truffle? Eclair? Farfignewton?”

The horse whinnied, shaking its head. This one seemed more positive than before.

“Farfignewton?” Dot asked in disbelief. The horse whinnied again.

Yakko laughed. “Farfignewton it is!”

* * *

They continued for about a week at a decent pace. They never tied Farfignewton up, but she stayed around. The weather was warm enough that they could bathe in the river and no worry about hypothermia. Yakko’s ankle finally healed, so he began walking alongside Farfignewton, who was carrying Dot, so that they could walk longer each day without exhausting her. 

Dot was hopefully optimistic, but she should have known better.

* * *

Dot awoke to the sound of howling. 

Yakko bolted upright, causing Dot to sort of spill out of his grasp. Farfignewton shifted, moving closer to them from where she was sleeping.

“What was that?” Dot asked, her voice quiet.

Yakko stood still for a moment, listening. 

“I don’t know,” he whispered. “But it can’t be anything good. Those sound like tracking dogs.”

Dot felt a chill down her spine. 

Quickly as quietly as they could, Yakko and Dot gathered their things. They loaded up onto Farfignewton, who was shifting nervously.

The howling had gotten closer.

Yakko spurred Farfignewton into a gallop, keeping her along the river.

Dot knit her brow. 

“Shouldn’t we be going to the road? It's much faster that way.”

Yakko shook his head. “If they’re scent dogs, we need to cross the river. We aren’t too far from where it starts thinning. If we can walk it in for a bit, they’ll lose our scent.”

Dot frowned, but leaned back into her brother.

Eventually, they came across a thinner area of the river. Farfignewton seemed nervous, but she stepped into the water on Yakko’s insistence. 

Dawn had started breaking by the time they exited the river. Farfignewton was tired, and they couldn’t hear the dogs anymore.

“I’m sorry, girl,” Yakko said, patting her neck. “Can we go just a little longer? There’s some thicker woods up ahead.”

Farfignewton snorted, before picking up the pace.

* * *

Dot flopped onto the dirt, uncaring that brambles stuck into her ears. Riding for that long had been exhausting. 

Farfignewton whinnied, panting in exhaustion as Yakko climbed off of her. 

Yakko himself was still wound like a coil, his ears perked for any sign of the dogs. 

“We have to have lost them,” Dot said, shifting to a more comfortable position. 

Yakko bit his lip. “We don’t know that. Tracking dogs are crazy smart, especially the King’s.” 

Dot frowned. “We’ve done what we can for now,” she said. “We need to relax and keep up our energy. We’ll never make it to Wakko if we keep pushing ourselves.”

Yakko sighed heavily, letting his shoulders droop. He turned to her, a smile on his face. The lines of his body were still tense, but he seemed to be breathing now. 

“My sister is just too smart for me, huh?” 

Dot rolled her eyes. “You’re smart, too,” she said. “You just seem to think you don’t need time to recover.”

Yakko sighed again, plopping down beside her in the dirt. 

“I never had the option, before,” he said, almost to himself. 

“Well, now you have us.” Dot gestured to Farfignewton. 

Yakko gave another smile, before leaning back. 

“I suppose I do,” he said, his voice lighter. 

“Thanks, girls.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me go! I'm avoiding talking about my progress for fear of losing motivation but oops! 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed! This chapter was a bit short, unfortunately, but that's just because we're at a point in the story where short scenes gotta happen
> 
> And, oh man, the next two chapters will show you guys you were a bit off on the direction this story was going. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for commenting!!!! I greatly appreciate it!!!
> 
> See you next chapter!


	8. So Long, Farewell

The dogs didn’t let up. 

At least once a day, they could hear their howling. A couple of times, they had heard the shouts of their masters. 

Yakko had nearly panicked, spurring Farfignewton into a full-on sprint. 

After a few days, the temperatures began to drop, and it wasn’t too long before snow began to fall. 

“That’s good, right?” Dot said as Farfignewton huffed down a valley. “The dogs won't be able to smell us.”

Yakko bit his lip. 

“Snow leaves footprints,” was all he said.

* * *

Yakko pulled Farfignewton to a stop. The horse huffed. The snow was about a foot deep now, the world white and quiet.

Dot sighed. She started to shift off of Farfignewton but Yakko gripped her shoulder. She looked up, seeing him watching the treeline.

“They haven’t lost us,” he said, his breath puffing in the air. He looked up, and for the first time Dot realized how close they were to a tree. 

“What’s your plan?” she asked, glancing up into the branches. 

Yakko bit his lip. “We can’t outrun them. Their horses are strong and durable, and Farfignewton is…” he trailed off, casting a sad smile at their girl. “Overworked.”

Dot knit her brow. “Meaning?”

Yakko looked back up into the tree. “At this point they’re tracking us through our footprints and scent.” He looked behind them, seeing their clear trail leading through the woods. 

“Since we’ve noticed that they’re behind us, we’ve only been traveling by horseback.” He turned back to the other girls. “Meaning, if we climb off Farfignewton without leaving any footprints and send her in a random direction, they’ll probably not notice where we separated until we’ve got plenty of distance between us.”

Dot’s eyes widened. “You mean we’re going to leave her?”

“Hey,” Yakko said, putting his other hand on her shoulder. “We weren’t supposed to take her in the first place.”

“Well, yeah, but--” Dot felt tears welling in her eyes. She turned to look At Farfignewton’s sad eyes. “She decided to stay with us.”

“I know,” Yakko said softly. “But she won’t be in any danger.”

Dot sniffed. She hugged Farfignewton’s neck, letting a few sobs escape her.

“You’re the best horse ever,” she said, her voice muffled in Farfignewton’s side. “I’ll miss you.”

Farfignewton whinnied.

* * *

They decided that it was best to cover their tracks when it came to scent, as well. They took Yakko’s pack off, figuring it had his scent the strongest. They put all their supplies into Dot’s pack, which Yakko strapped to himself. 

Dot was torn between the desire to prove herself, and the knowledge that Yakko was less likely to be set off balance by the added weight. 

Yakko’s bag was wrapped around Farfignewton’s neck, extended to its maximum capacity to fit her. This was all sort of difficult to do while on her back, but they managed. 

Finally, it was time to leave. 

Yakko stood, lifting Dot onto a branch above them. She scrabbled, holding on, before sinking her claws in and hauling herself up. Yakko jumped up after her, aiming for the trunk. 

Dot looked back at Farfignewton. “Bye, Farfignewton,” she said, voice thick. “You’re the best horse ever.”

Farfignewton stretched up, nuzzling Dot’s face. Dot laughed, rubbing her nose with her hand. 

“Best of luck,” Yakko said. 

Farfignewton whinnied, then began trotting off, quickly disappearing into the trees.

Dot watched her for a moment, before looking back to Yakko.

“What now?” she asked. 

He inclined his head upwards. “We get higher up, and keep moving.”

Dot nodded. They climbed. 

It was hard work. Dot’s claws were sore, unused to supporting most of her weight. Jumping between trees was difficult, but they discovered that if Yakko jumped first and caught Dot it was much easier for both of them. 

Night had begun to fall when they heard it. 

The barking of dogs and the pounding of hooves echoed through the woods, sending birds and squirrels running. Yakko grabbed Dot, putting her between him and the trunk and supporting her weight. 

He froze, barely even breathing. 

“The prints go this way!” a deep voice shouted. 

The horses thundered through the trees, their hooves still distant in the woods. It sounded like a whole army, but Dot knew it couldn’t have been. 

Finally, the hooves had disappeared in the distance. Night had truly set in, and yet, still, Yakko refused to move. 

It was only once the birds and squirrels came back that he breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Do we have to stay in the trees anymore?” Dot asked. 

Yakko huffed. “It would be safer,” he said. He looked down to see Dot’s pouting face. “But I think saving our energy is more important.”

He shifted, allowing her to get a grip on the tree, before starting to climb down. Dot followed, jumping into Yakko’s arms about five feet from the base when he reached the ground.

They shook themselves, stretching their aching arms and legs. Slowly, they began walking through the snow.

“They were about a day behind us,” Yakko muttered, flexing his claws one-by-one and working out the kinks in his muscles. “They would have probably caught up in a few days.”

Dot was too tired to say anything, and simply trudged along beside him. 

The moon was high in the sky by the time they stopped to make camp.

* * *

Dot awoke to Yakko gently shaking her shoulder. She groaned, her body sore and stiff. 

Yakko chuckled. “I know, sib,” he said. “But we have to keep moving. There’s a town up ahead.”

Dot opened her eyes, watching Yakko. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“It's a tiny town,” Yakko said, shrugging. As Dot sat up she noticed that he had already packed everything besides her bedroll. “Plus, they seemed more focused on speed than fanning out.”

Dot stood, stretching and yawning. Yakko handed her some berries, which she ate quickly before packing up the rest of her things. 

They set off, Yakko once again carrying their pack. 

The snow was a foot deep and difficult for them to walk in, especially Dot. They trudged along, following a trail of smoke that Yakko said was a town. He pulled out the map when they took a break, pointing at the town they were headed towards: Buntown. 

Dot caught them a rabbit, and Yakko caught a squirrel for lunch. They sat down, feeling the pressure ease for the first time in days. 

That only lasted a few moments, before they heard a  _ snap _ in the woods. 

Immediately, Yakko was on his feet, putting himself between the sound and Dot.

They stood, frozen, before the shadows shifted, and Dot could finally see what it was. 

A bear. 

_ A bear _ .

And not a toon bear, but a large grizzly, its eyes fixated on the meat in Yakko and Dot’s hands. 

“I thought bears were supposed to hibernate during the winter,” Dot whispered. 

“They are,” Yakko said, not taking his eyes off the bear.

The bear moved forward, its eyes feverish and mouth slobbering.

Dot glanced at the food in their hands. 

“I think we should give our food to it,” she said.

Yakko glanced down, before taking her food in his hand. He lifted it, and the bear’s eyes followed it.

“Get ready to run,” Yakko whispered. 

“I thought you weren’t supposed to run from bears?”

“We don’t have much of a choice, Dot.”

Dot huffed, but prepped herself. 

Yakko set his feet, his whole body a spring. 

He then chucked their food as far as possible back the direction they had come. 

“ _ Now! _ ” Yakko grit out, and they took off. 

The bear matched them, but followed the food. Yakko grabbed the pack and they sprinted, the sounds of the bear fading into the distance. 

The snow was hard going, but they didn’t dare slow down. They ran, their chests burning and legs cramping, until, finally, they broke from the trees. 

Up ahead, they could see a house, and, beyond it, a town. 

Yakko grabbed Dot’s hand, pulling her until they were past the house and running down tiny streets. There were a few toons about, and they cried out as the kids ran past them. 

Yakko took a couple of turns, and, finally, they entered into what had to be the main square.

They came to a stop, panting hard. Dot practically collapsed on the ground, laying on her back and letting her body just  _ breathe _ . 

Yakko plopped onto the ground beside her, letting his upper half hunch forward.

“I  _ huff _ never want to  _ huff _ do that again,” Dot panted. “I would  _ huff _ rather climb a tree.”

“Bears are great  _ huff _ climbers,” Yakko replied. 

They sat like that for a while, catching their breath. Eventually, Dot could feel her whole body again, the adrenaline wearing off and her heart rate slowing. 

Yakko stood, stretching, before offering a hand to Dot. She took it gratefully. 

“The sun will be setting soon,” Yakko said, scanning the square. “There’s an inn around here. We can stay there.”

Dot followed him as they walked the streets. Dot asked someone, and they found it very quickly. 

The front boasted a sign that said  _ Bunny’s Burrow _ . Dot thought it was cute, especially once they entered the building to find a grey bunny toon behind the counter that doubled as a bar.

“Nyeaaaah, what’s up, Doc?” the bunny asked, leaning on the counter. 

“A room for one night,” Yakko said tiredly, digging through the pack to grab the coins they hadn’t used at Flavio’s shop. He set them down on the counter. “And a meal for two.”

The bunny took the coins, moving into the back of the inn. Yakko and Dot took a seat at the bar. Dot leaned forward, resting her forehead on the polished wood. She heard Yakko sigh, but didn’t move, just closed her eyes. 

The innkeeper came back, setting two glasses down. Dot straightened, spotting two glasses of juice. The innkeeper came back with two plates piled with mashed potatoes and cooked meat. 

Dot immediately dug in, excited to taste spices for the first time in a month. 

“We don’t have enough for juice,” Yakko said slowly.

“Don’t worry about it, kid,” the bunny said, waving his hand. “I heard you two came running into town like you were being chased. I figure you need it.”

“Thank you,” Yakko said, his voice soft. He began digging in as well. 

The innkeeper stayed nearby, watching them eat. When Dot drained her glass, he refilled it. 

Finally, the two slowed down, their stomachs full. Dot burped, rubbing her stomach. 

She didn’t realize how much she had missed real food. 

The innkeeper took their plates, taking them to the back. He returned quickly, two small slices of cake in hand.

Yakko’s eyes widened. “Oh, we can’t--”

“My husband made too much,” the bunny said, setting the plates in front of the two. He leaned forward, lifting his hand conspiratorially. “He’s a bit overzealous sometimes.”

“I heard that!” came a heavily-lisped voice. 

The bunny smiled, leaning back. 

Dot dug in. She hadn’t had cake in  _ years _ . The nuns could never afford it, and even if they could Dot was always last in line to get it. 

It was carrot cake, and she savored every bite. It was sweet, and nutty, but not overly so. It had some nuts in it, and she savored the crunch.

She was halfway through when she realized Yakko hadn’t had any.

“Yakko?” she asked after she swallowed. 

He started, then looked at her. His ears were back. He pushed the cake towards Dot.

“I’m full,” he said. 

Dot watched him for a second. His tail was twitching slightly, his eyes on his hands. His hands played with the edge of his trousers. 

“Okay,” Dot said slowly. She kept glancing towards him as she ate, waiting for him to look at the cake with any sort of longing.

He didn’t.

“So where’d you two come from?” the bunny asked, leaning against the bar. “We don’t get visitors very often.”

“We came from Finland,” Yakko replied carefully. 

“The town, I assume,” the bunny deadpanned. 

Yakko nodded. The bunny sighed. 

“Makes sense why you were running, then,” he said. He nodded towards a hallway off to the side. “We’ve got quite a few guests who’ve been injured. They told us about some weird bear that’s out of hibernation.” He sighed, resting his head on one of his hands. “People suspect it's rabies or something.”

“So it’s been attacking people?” Dot asked. 

“That,” the bunny said, “and the honestly ridiculous amounts of bear traps the local hunters have set out in an attempt to catch it. If you came from Finland, you probably didn’t come through on a road, did you.”

Yakko shook his head. “We went through the woods.”

“You two sure are lucky, then,” the bunny said.

* * *

Dot finished her cake not long after that, and she and Yakko made their way towards their room for the night. They practically collapsed on the soft sheets, curling around each other and falling asleep almost instantly.

Dot had really missed beds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no clue why, but I decided to make it a challenge to have Bugs in this chapter without giving his name. 
> 
> See you next chapter!


	9. I'm So Glad I Met You

When they awoke, they were surprised to see that they had slept through the morning. The sun was high in the sky, and Dot had to blink the bright spots out of her eyes. Yakko gathered their things, and they made their way to the bar. 

“Good mornin’,” the bunny toon said, smiling at them. “Or I guess I should say ‘good afternoon.’”

“You-you t-t-two must h-h-h-have been-been t-t-t-tired,” a pig toon sitting at the bar said. “B-b-b-bugs said you-you’ve b-b-been asleep th-th-the whole t-t-t-time.”

Dot plopped down on the barstool, feeling better than she had in days. “It’s been a rough couple of weeks,” she said. 

The bunny--Bugs--disappeared into the back again, quickly returning with two plates piled high with eggs and toast. Yakko tried to say they didn’t have the money again, but he stopped when Bugs gave him a glare.

Dot dug in. So far, this was the best day of her life. Warm food, a warm bed, a safe place to sleep without worrying about water or the sounds of wildlife. 

Not to say that she hated the way she had been living, but she definitely preferred beds to dirt. 

Yakko ate much slower.

Bugs took their plates when they finished. “So where are you headed to now?” he asked when he’d returned to the front. 

“Acme Falls,” Dot blurted. Yakko’s eyes cut to her. 

She didn’t get it. Bugs seemed plenty nice. What was he worried about? The guards were long gone, following Farfignewton. 

Bugs frowned. “Are you going to detour through Fanston?”

Yakko hesitated. Then he sighed. “No, we don’t really have time. We’re cutting straight there.”

Bugs’s frown deepened. “You  _ do _ remember what I told you about the rabid bear and the traps, right? I can’t imagine what would be so pressing that you would risk that.”

“We’re going to find our brother!” Dot exclaimed. “I haven’t seen him since I was a baby!”

Yakko sighed again, resting his head on a hand. “We’ve been traveling for a while. If we’re just careful, we won’t need to add another week to our travels.”

Bugs watched them for a moment, before sighing himself. He leaned back. “Well, just be careful.”

"We will," Yakko promised.

* * *

It was just past midday when the Warners set off again. They walked slowly, Yakko showing Dot on the map where they were and where they were going. Dot agreed with Yakko that it was better that they just go straight to Acme Falls instead of all the way out to Fanston. It added more time than Dot wanted to spend.

They were so close to Wakko. Just a week away and a half away. 

It was worth the risk

* * *

The snow started melting on their second day. It was good, because it meant that it was easier to walk without having to wade through everything, but it was bad because the mud felt  _ disgusting _ on Dot's fur.

"Ugh," she said, shaking her paw off again as she sank into yet another muddy patch between the trees. "This is awful."

Yakko laughed. "There's a river up ahead. It's warm enough that we can wash our feet."

They made their way, and, sure enough, the river that Yakko had promised was there.

Dot cheered in excitement, running ahead towards the water. Yakko followed her, laughing.

They stood in the water, their ankles and feet freezing. Dot jumped out, shaking her feet dry and feeling how  _ clean _ her feet were.

She spotted a grassy area, plopping down in it to enjoy the afternoon sun. Yakko joined her shortly, his paws still dripping.

They sat for a while, until Dot's stomach growled.

"I'll get some food," she said. Yakko just nodded, leaning back into the grass and closing his eyes. The sun really made up for the chilly air.

Dot crept around the river, moving slowly and watching for any movement. She spotted a squirrel, and the hunt began.

When she finished, she had grabbed two squirrels. She carried her kill back to Yakko, splashing a bit of water on her face in order to clean the blood off. As she did, she spotted some strange plants growing alongside the river.

They grew on green stalks, their shape looking sort of like sausage she had seen in shops on her journey. Logically, she knew that sausage was made out of meat, and that meant that there was no way that this was sausage, but it had to have inspired it, right? Yakko had shown her plenty of berries.

Carefully, she broke a few off the stalks. She didn't know if they were poisonous or not, so she aimed not to touch the actual darker bits. She returned to Yakko, who had already started building a fire.

"Yakko!" she called as she neared. He looked up. "I got some squirrels and a weird plant."

He knit his brow. She came even closer, and he spotted what she had.

"Oh," he said, "that's a cattail."

Dot set the squirrels down, holding the plants up to inspect. "Is it poisonous?"

"No," Yakko started. "They're good for--"

Dot, who was hungry, didn't listen to the rest. She bit in.

Immediately, fluff entered her mouth. She coughed, throwing the plant onto the ground. She clawed at her mouth, spitting in an attempt to get the horrible texture out of her mouth.

Beside her, Yakko cackled.

"Oh my god," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "I've never--I didn't know that it was---" He wheezed, falling onto his back.

Dot glared at him.

"You don't get to make that look at me, missy," Yakko said, straightening. "You didn't listen."

Dot spit the rest of the fluff out, pouting. Yeah so maybe she hadn't listened. Didn't mean it was funny, though.

Okay...maybe it was a  _ little _ funny.

She let Yakko calm down, clutching his sides as he laughed. Eventually, he settled, and then he grabbed the other cattail.

"They're good for making fires," he said, his voice sort of wobbly from laughing. "Look."

He dug around in the bag, pulling out two cans. He pulled them apart, then pushed on the cattail, causing it to spring open. He collected the fluff, starting to stuff them into the smaller can.

"These are seeds," he said as he worked. He got all of them off of his, and he asked for Dot's. "They sort of explode so that they can catch on the wind, spreading their seeds around."

He filled the smaller can, then placed the other one on top. He lit their fire, putting the can in the coals. He skewered their squirrels, skinning and then beginning to cook them.

"You set them in there, and they sort of change," Yakko continued. "You leave in the fire long enough, and they won't be as fluffy. They turn into this black stuff that ignites really quickly." He watched the fire for a second.

"It's a great fire starter."

Dot nodded. She watched the fire too, eating her squirrel when it was done. When they finished eating, Yakko put the fire out, pulling out the cans. He opened them, showing the insides to Dot.

"See?" he said. "Looks totally different now, huh?"

Dot poked it. "Yeah."

* * *

The next day, Dot got to experience using the cattail firestarter. It worked really well, and she was excited.

She didn't know why Yakko was getting so angsty about it, though.

* * *

It was the next day that things went wrong.

They were walking along when they heard it: baying dogs.

They both froze.

"What?" Dot said, her breath knocked out of her.

"They must have caught up to Farfignewton," Yakko said. He looked over his shoulder. "They must have found where we split off."

Dot grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "We need to hurry," she said, her voice desperate.

Yakko kept looking back, but let her lead him.

She picked up the pace, running ahead.

She forgot all about the bear traps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol I already have the next chapter written, but I want Y'all to stew in this one a bit. I'll probably post the next chap either tomorrow or the day after. I want y'all to stew in that one too lol
> 
> Also, I'm very curious as to what y'all think is gonna happen next! Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!
> 
> See you next chapter!


	10. I Hope to See You Again

They had been running for a while, Yakko still focused behind them. They had started hearing the sounds of hooves breaking through the underbrush. Voices had started reaching them. Dot pushed on, sprinting full out.

Yakko turned around, then gasped.

"Dot--" he started to shout and then the horrible sound of metal snapping and bone crunching cut him off. Yakko's hand was ripped from Dot's grip and he screamed.

Dot turned to see Yakko lying in the dirt, his paw firmly caught in the jaws of a bear trap. Ice ran down her back, and she rushed forward, looking at the trap.

She tried to ignore the blood, reasoning with herself that she had killed plenty of animals on her travels. She had seen plenty of blood.

_But none of it had been her brother's._

"Dot," Yakko grit out, his face scrunched up and his body shaking. Dot ignored him, trying to find a way to undo the trap.

There had to be a way to undo the trap, right?

"Dot," Yakko said again, his voice more forceful. She heard a thump, and looked to see Yakko set their pack down beside her.

She looked up at him, tears beginning to prick her eyes.

"Climb a tree," he panted. He screwed his eyes up. "Climb and tree a get out of sight."

"No!" she cried, turning back to the trap. "I can fix this! I can undo this and then--"

"And then I still won't be able to walk," Yakko said.

Dot turned to him, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. She could already hear distant hooves. They had probably heard Yakko scream.

"I won't leave you," Dot said, more confidently than she felt. "If they get you they get me."

"Dot," Yakko said, his voice softer. He reached out, cupping her cheek. "Please. They don't know about you."

A sob slipped between Dot's lips. "I don't want to be alone," she whispered.

Yakko gave her a sad smile, his eyes clouded. "It'll only be for a little while," he said. "And then you'll have Wakko."

Another sob wracked Dot, and she rushed into a brutal hug with Yakko. "And then," she was cut off by a sob, "and then we'll come save you."

Yakko shook his head, pushing her away. "No, Dot," he said, his own voice thick. "Get to Wakko, and get out of this country. Sa-" He bit his lip. "The murderer hasn't ever killed me before. I doubt he would start now. Heck, it may even be--" he gave a soft hiccup and a watery smile, "--be better than if I was running around on this hurt leg."

He took a deep breath, giving her a more confident smile even as pain reflected in his eyes. "I'll break out again like I always do," he said. "And then I'll find you. I'll _always_ find you."

Dot sniffed, giving him another hug. "Fine," she said. "But I'll hold you to it."

Yakko gave a wet chuckle.

The sound of hooves got louder.

"Dot, you need to go."

She pulled back, tears streaming down her face. She lifted the pack onto her shoulders. Yakko helped her adjust the straps to fit her, both of their hands shaking. She sat back, looking him deeply in the eyes.

She lifted her hands, cupping his cheeks.

"Promise me I'll see you again," she said.

Yakko hesitated.

"I promise."

Dot stood, heading towards a tree. She began climbing, fighting down the tears and the nagging thought that Yakko had been lying.

* * *

She climbed the tree, jumping over one to hide in the pine needles. The snow had already melted off the trees, meaning she didn't have to worry about disturbing anything. She curled up, her back pressed against the bark of the trunk. She hunched, covering her white patches as best she could with her tail and hands.

It wasn't long before the sound of horses and shouting grew loud enough that she could make out words.

"The sound has to have come from here!" someone shouted.

"There!" another cried.

Dot squeezed herself even more, fighting against the shaking of her limbs in order to avoid making any sound. Below her, she could see Yakko. He had managed to get up on his hands and knees. He was panting, and as the first dogs appeared through the trees he bared his teeth.

Within moments, he was surrounded.

Horses whinnied as they were pulled to a halt. Dogs circled Yakko, barking.

Dot was surprised that the hunting party was so small.

Four dogs circled Yakko, while only two guards rode upon two horses, both black as night.

One of them laughed, jumping off his horse.

"There you are, you little rat," he said, his voice harsh.

Yakko growled, thrashing his tail.

The other guard slid down, walking over to Yakko. Yakko swiped at him, his claws out.

Guard two just laughed. "That looks like quite the predicament you're in there," he said, his voice pitched as if he was talking to a child.

Dot felt her hackles raise, despite herself.

"We can help you out," guard one said. "We can take you to a nice and warm home."

"Warm my ass," Yakko spat.

Guard two reached out, slapping Yakko across the face. Yakko tumbled, falling to the side. He let out a yelp as his leg was pulled.

"You're lucky his majesty wants you alive," he ground out. "Keep acting out, and 'mistakes' might happen." He leaned forward, looming over Yakko. "We're getting mighty tired of chasing after you."

Yakko growled, but didn't move otherwise. Guard one reached into a saddlebag, pulling out two objects, One was made of leather, compiled entirely of belts in some sort of webbed pattern. The other was a pole of some sort, made of metal with four loops built-in.

Guard one handed the strapped object to guard two, who set to work attaching it.

Dot bristled, fighting back a hiss.

It was a _muzzle_.

Guard one rolled Yakko onto his stomach, ignoring Yakko's cry as his leg was jostled again. They pulled his hands back, locking them into two cuffs on the bar. They lifted his free leg, locking it into another cuff. Yakko was now curled up, only his injured leg extended.

Guard one fiddled with the bear trap. After a few moments, he got it to release.

Yakko let out another cry.

Guard one sat back, putting one hand on his chin as if he was thinking.

"You know," he said, "I think we should definitely not underestimate him."

The second guard sat back, too, an evil glint in his eye. "You're right. Don't want to have to catch him again."

Guard one grabbed Yakko's leg, bending it back. Yakko screamed, and Dot closed her eyes, covering her ears with her hands. Tears slipped onto her cheeks as she heard her brother's choked cries, the sound of metal locking ringing in her ears. When she finally dared to open her eyes, She saw the guard two lifting Yakko's limp body, moving him to set down on the front of his horse. Dot was worried he'd passed out, but the gentle sobs coming from Yakko told her he wasn't.

She wanted to run. She wanted to jump out of the tree and attack the guards, ripping their throats out with her teeth. How _dare_ they hurt her brother? How _dare_ they make him cry?

She choked back a sob. It was too late. Even if she could fight those guards, Yakko was already locked up. There was no guarantee they would have the ability to unlock it, and even if they did, there was no way Yakko was in any condition to walk all the way to Acme Falls.

She found herself wishing Farfignewton was there. If she was, maybe they would have escaped. Maybe they would have made it on time.

But maybe Dot would have led Farfignewton into the bear trap instead.

Dot watched as the guards climbed onto their horses, something breaking inside her. They called the dogs, and began taking off through the woods, back the way they had come.

Dot waited, listening until the last of the sounds faded.

And then, she let herself cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update schedule who? 
> 
> I was tempted to let y'all stew on that but I was too excited for this chap. I'm writing the next one so it won't be much longer. It's amazing how much you can write when you don't have a job...
> 
> See y'all next chapter!!


	11. Familial Faces

The sun had set by the time Dot had calmed down. She felt hollow, and cold, and helpless in a way she never had before.

She sniffed, feeling the stiff fur on her face. She was tempted to jump down, but she didn't dare.

If she stepped on a trap, there was no way that she would be able to survive.

No one was coming for her.

She choked back a bitter laugh.

She decided to sleep in the tree.

* * *

The next five days passed in a blur. Dot walked, hunted, and slept. She used all the knowledge that Yakko had taught her over the past two months, but that thought only made her feel sad. She trudged on, walking well beyond when Yakko would have made them stop.

She felt like she deserved the aching feet. After all, Yakko's probably hurt much more.

She felt tears coming again, as she remembered his screams. They haunted her, in the way that she couldn't do anything.

She had started walking without paying attention, her whole body numb, when a voice pulled her out of her reverie.

"Hey, kid!"

Dot started, whipping around to find the source of the voice. She looked up, spotting a grey squirrel toon.

"You deaf or somethin?" the toon asked, her voice gravelly.

"No," Dot said, knitting her brow.

"Well I've been callin' yah for a while now," the toon said. She jumped down, landing on the squishy dirt below. She made a face, shaking off her paws.

"Oh," Dot said. She watched the squirrel get closer.

"Yeah, well," the squirrel said, coming up to Dot. She was a bit taller, her hat with a drooping flower making her seem even taller than Dot. The squirrel narrowed her eyes. "What's your name kid?"

Dot blinked. "Dot."

"Huh," the squirrel said. She looked around. "Well, Dot, what the heck are you doing in a dangerous place like this?"

Dot looked down. Flashes of blood kept filling her vision.

"I'm headed to Acme Falls," she said, her voice soft. "I'm looking for my brother."

The squirrel was quiet for a moment. She sighed. "I figured," she said, sounding tired. "Wakko, right?"

Dot's head shot up. The squirrel looked down at her with sad eyes.

"Do you know him?" Dot asked, afraid to hope. Afraid she did.

"Sure do," the squirrel said. "And a kid like you shouldn't be out in the woods like this unsupervised."

Dot looked down again, fiddling with her hands.

"I wasn't." The squirrel cocked a brow. "Unsupervised, I mean."

"Well, you are now," the squirrel said. "And Wakko would be pretty upset if his little sister got hurt."

The squirrel put out a paw. Dot looked at it.

"C'mon, kid," the squirrel said, irritated. "You've held someone's hand before, right?"

Dot nodded numbly. This was dangerous. Yakko would have been hesitant. He would have said no.

But Yakko wasn't here.

Dot took her hand.

* * *

The squirrel led her through the woods. They walked for about a day, until they came out on a path.

"Not much longer now," the squirrel said. 

They made their way down the road, eventually coming into a town. The buildings were run down, the streets a mess. The people she could see seemed sad, their eyes haunted.

The squirrel--Dot  _ had _ to get her name--lead her through the town, down past the railroad tracks. Up ahead, Dot could make out an old water tower. She glanced at the squirrel knitting her brow.

Did Wakko really live in a water tower?

They came up to it, and Dot saw a grey cat and a dog sitting on the steps. They watched as the two approached, the cat giving them wary looks.

The squirrel walked right past them and into the water tower.

Inside, the place was even more broken down. There were what must have once been holes in the roof that were now patched with wood. There were makeshift walls making rooms. A few curtains hung in the place of doors. The squirrel marched through, as if she knew the place incredibly well. She lifted one curtain, and Dot was surprised to find a group of people huddled around a table.

There was an old human man, a beautiful human woman, a young squirrel, two mice, a beautiful mink, and--

Dot's breath caught.

On the other side of the table was a toon. His fur was black, his ears sticking up around a red cap that was on backwards. A blue sweater engulfed his frame. His eyes were wide. He looked so much like Yakko it made Dot dizzy.

"Dot?" the toon said, his voice soft and heavily accented.

"Wakko?" Dot replied.

Immediately, she was slammed into, fur and fabric rubbing against her face. She tumbled to the ground, laughing as Wakko tackled her. She could feel his tail wagging, and she couldn't help hers. They rolled, hugging each other.

Dot laughed, feeling that cold part of herself start to warm.

"Dot!" Wakko cried, rubbing his nose against her cheek. "Dot! I missed you so much, Dot!"

Dot hugged him back just as hard. Wakko straightened, pulling her up onto his lap. It wasn't as easy or comfortable as when Yakko did it, considering Wakko and Dot were about the same size. Dot dug her face into Wakko's chest, letting the smell of him wash over her.

He smelled so much like Yakko.

Before Dot could help it, tears had begun to slip out of her eyes, staining her cheeks and Wakko's chest. A sob slipped between her lips, and then she was properly crying.

Wakko held her, gently rocking her back and forth.

"I missed you so much," Wakko whispered, his own voice thick. "I've been looking for you. I was worried you wouldn't remember."

Dot hiccupped, a sad sense of deja vu coming over her.

"Yakko said the same," she said.

Wakko stiffened. His grip adjusted to her shoulders. He pulled her back, looking her in the eyes.

"You know where Yakko is?" he asked, his voice more serious than before.

Dot started crying harder. She tried to speak, but her voice was too thick. She dove back into Yakko, starting to shake.

"I'll get some water," she heard a distant voice say.

"Do you want us to leave?" another came.

She felt Wakko shake his head, tightening his grip on her.

She just let herself cry.

Wakko was here. She made it.

But Yakko didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Wakko's here! Too bad for Yakko tho...
> 
> Everyone told me not to post this yet but I'm insane and want to share things as soon as theyre done lol
> 
> This is why my betas can never keep up
> 
> See you next chapter!!


	12. Worn Down Places

By the time Dot had finished crying, she felt numb. There was a happiness there, and lightness in her chest, but it was outweighed by the ache in her heart and the heaviness in her bones.

Wakko shifted, lifting her. She tried to cling to him, but she was too tired. He walked a distance, before feeling him set her down on something soft.

She cracked an eye as Wakko pulled away, realizing she was in a warm bed. There were lit candles, and Wakko was grabbing a blanket to tuck her in with. He started to walk away, and she grabbed his hand.

"Please," was all she managed to say.

Wakko smiled back. Dot's eyes drifted shut as she felt the bed shift. She was cold for a moment as the blanket was lifted, but then the soft feeling of Wakko's fur was pressed against her and she shivered at the warmth.

She rolled over, gripping her brother.

She was fast asleep in moments.

* * *

When Dot awoke, it was to the feeling of a warm body curled up against hers. For a moment, she forgot what had happened. She pressed her face into the other person, in the way that she would always ask Yakko to curl around her.

This person adjusted, wrapping his arms around her, but they were too short.

And then Dot remembered.

She felt like crying again, but the feeling of her gross cheeks gave her the confidence to hold it back. She was thirsty already. There was no reason to waste precious water.

"You awake?" came Wakko's gentle voice.

Dot nodded, pressing her face into his chest. She took a deep breath, his scent surrounding her, before pushing herself upright.

Wakko matched her movement, and they were both sitting on the bed. Dot looked around, seeing the same ramshackle water tower the squirrel toon had led her to the night before. The room was barren and fairly small, the only thing present the bed and a small nightstand upon which rested a half-used candle. For the first time, Dot realized that the walls didn't reach all the way to the roof.

"Is this where you live?" Dot asked. "I thought you were in an orphanage."

Wakko laughed. "Yeah, I thought the same about you." He still had that strange accent. Dot wondered if it was because he lived so close to the border.

"My orphanage shut down a few years ago," Wakko continued. He adjusted so that he was sitting cross-legged on the bed. "Baron Plotz taxes this place to hell and back." He studied her. "I heard that your orphanage didn't have the same issue."

Dot jerked back to meet his eyes. "You knew where I was?"

Wakko looked away, hunching over and rubbing his head. "Well, kinda?" He looked up at her with an apologetic look on his face. "About five months ago our scouts figured out where you were, but it was hard to get close without getting seen by the guards. And by the time we figured out how to do it, you were already gone."

Dot knit her brow. "What do you mean, 'scouts?'"

It was Wakko's turn to knit his brow. "You mean you don't know?" He straightened. "Then why did you come here?"

"Because Yakko said you were here?" Dot had a feeling today was going to be a migraine day. She looked around, spotting her pack on the ground beside the bed. She reached inside, rooting around until she lifted the map.

She showed it to Wakko. "Yakko figured out where we were," she said, pointing to the flower and the hat. "He said a friend of his told him. I was closer, so he came to get me first."

Wakko's eyebrows shot up. "You were with Yakko this whole time?"

Dot nodded. "We were coming to find you. Yakko wanted us to leave the country together."

Wakko knit his brow. "Yakko remembered our past, right? Why would he want to leave?"

"You mean that our parents were murdered?" Dot asked. "I don't see why that matters on whether we leave or not."

Wakko studied her for a second, before sighing.

"You  _didn't_ remember, did you?"

Dot bristled. "Okay, fine, I didn't. What's it matter? Yakko told me."

Wakko gave another sigh, this one significantly more frustrated. "But did he tell you the whole thing?"

"Well, no," Dot hesitated. Yakko said he would tell her and Wakko the truth later. But Wakko seemed to know the whole truth  _ now. _

Was he old enough to remember somehow?

Wakko slid off the bed, coming around to her side and offering a hand. "Let me show you something," he said.

Warily, Dot took his hand. They remained in each other's grip as Wakko led her out of the room. He led her down the hallway she remembered taking with the squirrel last night. Wakko turned, going through another sheet. Inside was the same room from last night, though this time it was significantly more empty. Now there was just the cat and dog from outside, the old human man, the human woman, and the two squirrels lounging around the table.

"You're awake!" the young squirrel exclaimed, jumping up.

"Rita, Runt, would you mind?" Wakko asked.

The cat stretched. "C'mon, Runt. Guard duty awaits."

"Guard duty!" the dog said, beginning to pass outside. "Oh, Rita, we get to have guard duty!"

"Yeah yeah," Rita said, following him. "Just get a move on."

Wakko waited until they couldn't hear Runt's feet on the wood, before turning to the rest.

"She doesn't know," Wakko said, cutting right to the chase.

"We'd figured as much, bucko," the old squirrel said. "You said she was too young."

Dot grit her teeth. " _What_ don't I know?"

Wakko sighed again. Dot was starting to see more similarities between him and Yakko.

"Dot, meet Skippy and Slappy Squirrel, Dr. Otto von Scratchansniff, and Hello Nurse." Each member of the room gave a little wave when their name was called.

"And this," Wakko said, gesturing to Dot, "is Princess Angelina Contessa Lousia Franchesca Banna Fana Bo Lana III, daughter of the late King William the Good and Queen Angelina the Wise."

Dot stood there for a second, her brain numb. She turned to Wakko.

"What?"

"You and your brothers are royalty, kid," Slappy said, rolling her eyes. "You three are the rightful heirs to the throne."

Dot felt the world turn sideways.

" _Huh?_ "

Wakko pulled on her hand, leading her to a chair. "Let me get you some breakfast so you can process that."

Dot numbly followed, climbing up. She sat there for a moment, before letting her head fall onto the table with a loud _thunk_.

Her thoughts were running a mile a minute, crowding her logic out. Each thought was too fast to catch, except for one.

She screamed.

* * *

When Dot felt better she sat up, noticing the rest of the people in the room. Slappy seemed unconcerned. Hello Nurse and Scratchansniff were watching her with kind and patient eyes. Skippy was fiddling with his hands watching her intently.

Wakko came back in, a small plate of eggs in hand. He set it down in front of her, then stood back.

Dot's head was much clearer now.

"So, you're telling me," she started, picking her words, "that when my brother told me that our parents were murdered, that he meant that our parents were _assassinated_ by the current King Salazar as part of his conquest of Warnerstock?"

"Well," Scratchansniff said in a helpful tone. "Technically King William died of an illness just before the invasion."

"Though people do think it might have been poison," Slappy pointed out.

Dot looked down at the plate. "That explains why we were being tracked," she said to herself.

Wakko's ears perked. "Huh?"

Dot looked to him, feeling another wave of sadness rise up within herself.

Slappy reached over, pushing the plate towards her. "Eat first, kid," she said. "It'll make you feel better."

Dot nodded, and began to numbly eat her eggs.

* * *

When she finished, she did feel better.

Scratchansniff had left the room for a moment, coming back with a glass of water that he handed her. Wakko jumped up into the chair next to her. His tail twitching.

Dot pushed the plate away. Everyone looked to her expectantly.

"So," she started, not making eye contact. "Two months ago, I caught Yakko as he climbed the roof onto my orphanage."

Slappy laughed, slapping her knee. Skippy shushed her.

"I followed him, because I couldn't make out exactly who he was and I just figured he was an intruder," Dot continued. "He told me who he was, and it jogged my memory somewhat. I remembered having brothers, and their names, and vaguely what--" Dot bit her lip. "Well, what I guess would be the castle. I didn't remember much else, though. Not our parents, not our history."

She sighed, leaning back to look up at the patched roof. "He asked me to come with him so we could find Wakko. I said yes, and we snuck out the next day. We traveled for about a month and a half before we ran into trouble in Finland.”

“I’m assuming you mean the town,” Scratchansniff said.

Dot nodded. “We were visiting some of Yakko’s friends--two hippos named Flavio and Marita. They gave us new bags--when guards started coming after us.”

Dot sighed. “We escaped, and we sort of kidnapped a horse in the process. She stuck around, though. We named her Farfignewton.”

Dot sunk down in the chair, still avoiding eye contact. “They sent out a tracking party of sorts. They almost caught up to us, so we sent Farfignewton off as a diversion. It worked for a while, but not well.”

Dot felt tears welling up in her eyes. The sound of Yakko’s scream and the slamming of the bear trap rung in her ears. 

“They got really close,” Dot said, fighting through the lump in her throat. “I led us through the woods, but I forgot about the bear traps and I wasn’t paying attention and because of me Yakko--”

She bit her lip, taking a deep breath. The others in the room waited quietly. 

“Yakko got caught.” Dot’s voice was soft. A tear broke loose again. “His leg was injured, and he couldn’t get away. They took him.”

A warm hand landed on Dot’s shoulder, Wakko resting his head on her shoulder as he climbed onto the chair next to her. Dot curled up, letting Wakko hug her. He patted her head.

“I’m sorry, Dot,” Wakko whispered, his voice thick. “I wish I had been there.”

Dot gave a wet laugh. “I’m glad you weren’t.” She paused. “There was so much blood.”

Wakko continued rocking her. The room remained silent. 

After a while, Skippy jumped down, heading over to nuzzle into Dot’s side as well. Dot gave a watery laugh, pulling him into a hug. 

The three were small enough they all fit into one chair.

Eventually, Wakko lifted his head. “We need to send out word, then,” he said, his voice soft. “We need to see if he’s still being held in the castle where he used to be.”

Dot knit her brow. She straightened, pushing Wakko so she could meet his eyes.

“You knew he was in the castle?” she asked. She frowned, looking at the others gathered. “Wait, earlier you said ‘scouts.’” She met Wakko’s eyes again.

He gave a small smile. “My turn, I guess,” he said.

“I’ve never left Acme Falls,” he started. “But my orphanage ran out of money eventually. I remembered that I had siblings, but I couldn’t remember why they weren’t with me. I could sort of remember Mom and Dad, but not well.” He took a breath too. 

“The other orphans left for bigger cities or crossed the border in hope of a better life. I stayed, because I didn’t know what else to do.” He looked to Scratchansniff, who smiled. “About three years ago, I ran into Scratchy. He had worked in the castle with our parents. He recognized me.”

Wakko smiled back at Dot. “We were both lucky. I had been looking for my family, and he had been looking for a way out from under Salazar’s thumb.”

Dot cocked her head, not understanding.

Wakko’s smile widened. He spread his arm, gesturing to the gathered room.

“These are our friends, Dot,” he said, his voice light and happy. “But they’re more than that.”

His grip on her tightened, his eyes practically glowing.

“We’re the resistance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like them apples? Y'all kept asking if Dot and Wakko would team up to start a revolution, but Wakko beat her to the punch! In a town as desititute as Acme Falls, with a Wakko who knows he's an heir to the throne who essentially has nothing to lose, why not?
> 
> (also if you pay attention to chapter titles you may have a bit of deja vu lol)
> 
> Thank you guys so much for all your comments! They mean a lot to me!!
> 
> See you next chapter!


	13. A Friend of Mine

"Huh?”

Wakko chuckled. “Yeah I tried to wait a bit because this is a lot.”

Dot was reeling. She was a princess. Yakko was the crown prince. Wakko was part of the resistance. Both her brothers had known and she’d been in the dark. 

She knit her brow. 

“Wakko,” she asked. “When was the last time you saw Yakko?”

Wakko’s face fell. He looked away. “I had thought the same time you did,” he said quietly. “Nine years ago.”

Dot’s eyes widened. Yakko hadn’t known about the resistance. From what Wakko was saying, he hadn’t know where Yakko was. It almost made her laugh.

Yakko had been all over Warnerstock. Wakko had scouts that probably also have been all over Warnerstock. 

And yet they had never run into each other.

_Boys. Go fig._

Wakko hesitated. “How was he?” he asked. 

Dot smiled softly. “He was okay,” she said. “He is very good at surviving in the woods. He taught me tons of things, like how to hunt and cook and start fires.”

Her eyes brightened. “Oh!” She reached into her pack, pulling out the cattail fire starter. “He showed me how to make this, too!” 

Wakko sniffed it, before sneezing. Dot laughed. 

“What is that?” Wakko asked, rubbing his nose. 

“It’s a fire starter you make out of plants. It’s really cool.”

Wakko paused. Slowly, he reached out, gripping the can in his hands. 

There was a sad look on his face, and Dot recognized a familiar sense of longing. 

“I don’t remember him very well,” Wakko said quietly. “I knew he was in the castle for a while, and I knew he disappeared. I had no clue why. I was worried that--” 

He bit his lip, his own eyes tearing up. 

“I was worried that I was the new crown prince.”

Dot froze. She couldn’t imagine. She hadn’t even thought about it. Hadn’t even considered.

Did both her brothers fear the other was dead?

She shook her head. Yakko was too full of desperate optimism. He had probably hoped.

Wakko apparently wasn’t so lucky.

Dot put her hand on his arm, causing him to look up. “He escaped,” she said, her voice gentle. “He told me he escaped a number of times. He told me…” She shook her head again, clearing the blood from her eyes. “He told me he would escape again and come find us. He just said it might take longer since he got hurt.”

Wakko bit his lip. “That’s what I’m worried about,” he whispered. He met her eyes, his own glassy with tears. 

“Yakko’s birthday is in a month.” His lip wobbled. “He’ll be old enough to be a threat to the crown. I’m scared he won’t be out by then.”

* * *

Dot settled into life in Acme Falls quickly. Sure, she felt guilty at not listening to Yakko, at not taking Wakko and running from the influence of Salazar, but she had never wanted to leave before, anyway. Wakko was even more steadfast.

He showed her the resistance. He showed her their influence, where they had scouts. Essentially everyone in Acme Falls was a part of the resistance, only the Baron and his guards out of the loop. That was what made it such a good place to host their base.

That, and the fact that if anyone spotted the King’s men approaching they would have plenty of time to make it to the border. 

Dot was impressed. Scratchy had apparently had a small network when he found Wakko, but having Wakko has both a major decision-maker and as essentially the face made recruitment significantly easier. Even if nine years had passed, people still remembered that Salazar had taken over. People still remembered what great rulers Queen Angelina and King William had been. They still remembered the times of prosperity.

And though Salazar had tried to make everyone forget, they remembered their children.

They remembered Yakko the most. He had been old enough to appear in public occasionally. They remembered the cute kid who stood beside his parents, who was surprisingly brave when meeting new people. 

It made Dot sad, hearing how much he had changed. 

People remembered Wakko decently. He hadn’t been around long, but people knew of him, and they knew Yakko and their parents had loved him dearly. 

No one had ever met Dot. She had been only one. She hadn’t been old enough. 

When people in poor towns, people who had lost their jobs and homes and access to food due to Salazar and his men’s greed, heard that not only was there a resistance, but that it was lead by Wakko, the second prince, they were excited. 

And because of this fact, the resistance’s influence was everywhere. Every town had some, even the capitol, though there were only a few.

It was dangerous there. That was where most of Salazar’s men lived. It was where the Ticktokians moved. 

“We think that we can potentially stage a rebellion before too long,” Wakko had said at one point. “If we had Yakko, it would be faster. Right now, the main hangup is that I’m not old enough for the throne. I would need a regent, and that makes people nervous.”

Dot had nodded, understanding.

If only Yakko had gone for Wakko first.

* * *

Dot had been there two weeks. People came and went. Wakko showed her the ropes, helped her understand everything. The things he didn’t know Scratchy taught her. 

She became as effective a leader as Wakko. Wakko said she was better, but Dot doubted it. After all, she may be a better speaker, but he was better at coming up with plans.

At some point, she had stopped comparing him to Yakko. Everyone was nervous, a deadline looming above their heads, but they continued with their plans, sending scouts to try to find the missing prince.

Time after time they failed, or were caught snooping. Luckily no one suspected a resistance, but Wakko and Dot were getting nervous.

“Maybe it won’t be as much of an issue,” Scratchy said, a shaky smile on his face. “Maybe Salazar’s forgotten.”

Dot and Wakko agreed that that wasn’t likely.

* * *

Dot awoke to Wakko shaking her, his eyes wide.

“There are guards on the way,” he whispered, his voice hurried. “We need to hide everything.”

Dot jumped up, running to the planning rooms. Slappy and Skippy and Scratchy and Hello Nurse were already there. They gathered papers, and maps, and plans. They hid them under the floor boards, pulling what tiny amount of furniture they had on top. They ran cloths along everything, trying to hide the dust trails.

Rita came running in, out of breath. 

“They’re here,” she said, her pupils blown. 

“How many?” Dot asked.

“That’s the thing,” she said. “Just two.”

Dot felt her heart sink.

“We should stay here,” Slappy said. 

“No,” Dot replied, steeling herself. “I need to see them.”

Wakko looked at her, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

She swallowed. “I want to see if they’re the same two who took Yakko.”

Wakko’s eyes darkened. Hello Nurse moved forward, placing a hand on either of their shoulders.

“I’ll come, too,” she said. “I can be a distraction if you need to get out. Minerva is already at the square, prepared to do the same thing.”

“Slappy, Skippy, and Scratchy,” Wakko called, looking back. “Can you watch the tower?”

“Sir yes sir!” Skippy saluted. 

Dot couldn’t help but laugh. “Thanks Skippy.”

He just beamed.

The three made their way out, heading towards the main square. People had already gathered, the two nights already dismounted. 

Dot crept closer, her and Wakko staying in Nurse’s shadow. 

When they were finally close enough for Dot to make out their faces, she gave a sigh of relief.

They weren’t the guards who took Yakko.

For one, both of them were toons, one a thin dog, the other a larger cat. Their horses were smaller, a paint and a blue roan. 

The three crept up to the back of the crowd gathered, listening.

“We’re looking for two toons,” the dog said, his face surprisingly kind for one of Salazar’s men. They both looked pretty young, too. About Yakko’s age. “Names are Wakko and Dot? They’re about, uh, yay high I think?” The toon lifted his hand to just above Dot’s height. 

Wakko gowled. 

“What’s it to you?” Brain asked from his perch on Minverva’s shoulder. The mink was standing near the front. The cat kept looking away and blushing. 

“We just want to talk to them,” the dog said, putting his hands out placatingly. “Look.” He unsheathed his sword. 

Everyone gathered tensed. Wakko moved, putting his body before Dot’s. 

Then, the dog toon dropped his sword, kicking the handle to knock it away. The baker picked it up.

“We mean to no harm, I promise,” the dog toon said again. “Please,” his voice was almost begging, “I just need to talk to them.”

No one moved, glancing at each other. Dot surveyed the crowd. Plotz wasn’t around, and neither were any of his guards. Everyone gathered she recognized as a member of the resistance. The dog toon had already kicked his sword away. They had the numbers.

Dot moved, slipping past Hello Nurse and out of Wakko’s frantic grip. She passed through the crowd, who cleared the way for her.

She reached the front, facing the knights.

The knights relaxed. The dog practically seemed to deflate, relief filling his features. 

“Thank god,” he muttered to himself. 

Dot heard a noise and became aware that Wakko had followed her and was now at her back. Their fur was bristled. 

“What do you want?” Dot asked, her voice steady, but making no room for argument.

The dog straightened, giving a small smile. “I have some things I need to tell you. I know you were supposed to leave, but I was hoping…” He shook his head. “We need to talk.”

Dot narrowed her eyes. “And why should we talk to you?”

The knights eyes widened. Then he sighed, exasperatedly looking at the sky before a fond smile spread across his features.

“I’m Max,” the knight said. "Yakko’s friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eventually y'all are gonna get tired of the emails lol
> 
> Also, for all the yax shippers, I bring thee a gift!
> 
> See you next chapter!


	14. Meet Max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, we've all had our fun here. Specifically when it comes to my update schedule, but I have a feeling I might be slowling down. My mom's oldest dog, and 13yo dashund, broke a tooth and he started bleeding last night. I was actually worried I would need to take him today, but my mom had time before work. He's okay now, just recovering, but I have to pick him up and also take my mom's other dog (dalmation) and my own dog (pitbull/mt. cur) to the vet themselves, which means wrestling the dalmation into a diaper so he doens't pee in my car...
> 
> Anyways, what I'm saying is that I don't have as much time as I've had! I'm also gonna be traveling before too long, my friend and I are gonna be streaming more often, and I might FINALLY have a job, which is exciting. 
> 
> this isn't a promise, tho, and this authors note is more to vent lol
> 
> But anyways, enjoy!

Behind her, Wakko growled. “Why would Yakko have a friend among Salazar’s men?”

Max straightened, backing slightly. “I can imagine it’s a shock, and I know you probably don’t trust me,” he said, his voice shaky but strong. “I’ll do anything, tell you anything you want from me. But please, hear me out.”

Dot studied him. His body language was open. His eyes lacked the darkness and hatred she had sometimes seen in the guards in Lotsville. 

And she remembered what Yakko had said.

_ “I was looking for you every day.” _

_ Dot bit her lip. “And then?” _

_ “And then, I made a friend,” Yakko said simply.  _

_ Flavio’s eyes glittered in mirth. “Oh, surely not everything in the capitol is worth avoiding?” _

_ “Not yet. But I plan to steal your girl.” _

_ Yakko laughed again. “Glad to know we’re in the same camp,” he said. “And he’s a guy.” _

“How did you find us?” she asked.

Max jumped. “Uh, I found out for Yakko,” he said slowly. He turned, reaching into his pack. Everyone tensed, but he just pulled out a roll of paper.

He spread out the map. On it, Dot could see the same flower and cap that had been drawn on Yakko’s. The art style was the same. The handwriting on the rest of the map the same as that on Yakko’s. 

“I snuck into the records about three months ago,” Max said, holding the map in place. “I figured out where Salazar sent you, and I made him a map just like this one. He said he was going to find you.”

Wakko lashed his tail. He and Dot made eye contact. Dot nodded.

“Fine,” she said. She nodded to the other guard. “Who’s this?”

“I’m PJ,” the cat toon said. “I’m Max’s friend.”

“And my right hand,” Max added. “I’d trust him with my life.”

Dot paused. 

“Give your sword away, too,” Wakko said. 

PJ nodded. Taking his sword out, he laid it on the ground as well. Minerva picked it up this time. 

“Can you take care of the horses for now?” Dot asked, looking at Baron Plotz’s stablehand, who nodded. 

Dot studied the two knights again, before turning. 

“Follow us,” she said, and she and Wakko led the way.

* * *

They placed Max and PJ at the innermost corner of the table. Hello Nurse had retrieved Max’s sword from the baker, and she and Minerva now held the swords in their hands as they stood at the door. 

Max and PJ certainly knew that they were being boxed in, but they didn’t seem concerned. 

Dot and Wakko sat opposite the two, Scratchy and Slappy on either side of the royals. Skippy had been sent outside on guard duty with Rita and Runt.

“So,” Dot said coolly, “you wanted to talk. Go ahead.”

Max nodded, leaning forward. His plate mail shifted as he did so. 

“Yakko said that he was with you when he got caught, so I figure we can skip past that,” Max started. Dot’s eyes widened. “He’s recovering fine, by the way.” Max winced. “Comparatively, I mean.”

Dot didn’t like the sound of that. Wakko’s tail made it clear he didn’t either.

“For the moment, he is okay. When I left he wasn’t sick,” Max continued. “The problem is what’s going to happen in two weeks.”

“And what’s that?” Slappy asked, her tone hostile.

Max straightened, his eyes darkening. 

“I’m sure you are wondering why none of you were killed in the invasion,” he said, his tone softer. “My...my father is the head of the guard, Salazar’s right-hand man.”

He lifted his hands, waving them frantically. “My dad doesn’t agree with him, though! My family has always served as the head guards. My dad decided that it would be easier to fight against Salazar and his cruelty from the inside.”

Dot’s eyes widened. Max was giving them a lot of information. A lot of blackmail. 

“Even before the invasion, my dad’s been organizing a rebel faction,” Max continued. “After we took over Warnerstock, my dad was the one who convinced Salazar not to kill you. Something along the lines of ‘They’re not old enough to be a threat.’”

“You sure seem to be giving us a lot of info here, kid,” Slappy said warily. “How would we know if it was bogus?”

“You wouldn’t,” Max said. “I can’t prove it to you here and now, but it’s important.”

His eyes started shining, in that sad way people did before crying.

“The only reason Salazar has demanded that you three stay alive is because none of you are old enough to be a threat to the throne. But in two weeks…” He trailed off.

“That won’t apply to Yakko,” Dot finished, feeling her stomach drop. 

Max nodded, his face matching what she felt. “Salazar already has a plan.” He grit his teeth. “He figured out that there were guards organizing under his nose. He didn’t know who, or where, and he didn’t suspect my dad, but he shuffled everyone around. Our network is out of sorts, so we can’t raise a full uprising on our own.”

“You want an uprising?” Dot asked, unable to keep the surprise off her face. 

Max laughed. PJ chuckled. “Salazar is a  _ horrible _ ruler. He’s greedy and awful. Our people have hated him since the last king died.” He sobered slightly. “He never took a wife, and he has no children. Salazar is the last in his line. He has no heirs.”

Max sat back, his eyes shining with pride this time. “The Ticktokian people have always known of the prosperity of Warnerstock. We’ve always heard great things about how caring the former King and Queen were.” He gave Dot and Wakko a soft smile.

“We have hope that their children can carry on their parents’ legacy.” Max’s smile got brighter. “And from having gotten to know Yakko, I’m sure it’s true.”

“Wait,” Wakko said. “You’re saying that even Salazar’s own people are in favor of Yakko taking the throne?”

“Yep,” PJ added for the first time.

“And you’ve managed to keep this a secret from Salazar?” Scratchy asked.

Max frowned. “That’s the thing,” he said. “We haven’t. Word’s been spreading. People know that the Warners are alive. No specifics have made it out, but Salazar knows that people are getting restless. Yakko already attempted to gain allies once. He doesn’t want to risk it again.”

“Come again?” Wakko said, his eyes wide.

Max knit his brow. “Uh, the reason Yakko wasn’t sent to the third orphanage is because his second started establishing a network. From what Yakko told me they were all wiped out, but I feel like at least some of them had to have gotten away.”

Wakko and Dot looked at Scratchy. 

“Even before we found Wakko,” Scratchy said slowly, “the resistance has always known the Warners were out there somewhere. And no one knows who founded it...”

“Huh?” Max said, his mouth hanging open. “Wait, are you saying--”

“Yeah, kid,” Slappy cut in, rolling her eyes. “We Warnerstock folks have a rebellion brewing, too.” She gestured to Dot and Wakko. “And we have two of the three heirs, so we’re going strong.”

Max’s eyes widened. Then he smiled.

He broke out into laughter, tipping his chair back dangerously as he cackled. He was crying, he was laughing so hard. PJ joined in, though it was much more controlled and much more nervous.

They gave him a few moments to calm down and he did. “Whew, man,” Max said, wiping a tear from his eye. “I should have figured Yakko’s sibs would pull something like that.” He giggled a bit more, PJ smiling behind him. “Two uprisings in the same country that didn’t know of the other. That’s hilariously horrific.”

Dot found a smile spreading across her face despite herself. Max just seemed so...genuinely happy to hear about everything. He spoke about Yakko so highly. 

“Well,” Max said, sobering, “I guess that makes this next part easier.”

“And what’s the next part?” Dot asked.

All the mirth left Max. He seemed to deflate. 

“On Yakko’s birthday, Salazar plans to make an example of him,” he said, his voice almost a hiss. He clenched his fists. “He wants to make everyone give up hope that any of the Warners are strong enough to overtake him.”

Wakko’s face fell. 

“What’s he going to do?” Dot asked. 

Max met her eyes, that same sadness back. 

“He’s going to force Yakko to stage an uprising,” he whispered. “And he’s going to kill him in front of everyone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed! A lot of you in the comments are right on the money, and some of you are slightly off. We're entered in endgame of the fic. I'm not gonna give a concrete number, but we're definitely in the 3rd act. Part of my speed has been due to my desire to finish just ONE project so that I can get to my other fics (and also a human popstar au that I came up with literally during the process of writing this T.T)
> 
> See you next chapter!


	15. Two Waves, Collided

Dot felt sick. Her body began shaking, and she felt lightheaded. Wakko pressed against her, shaking just as badly.

Max watched them, concerned.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a soft voice. “I didn’t want to--”

“We need a moment,” Wakko said. He tried to jump down, but he was too shaky. 

Scratchy scooped them up, their small bodies easily fitting in his arms. He carried them to their room, setting them down on the bed. 

Wakko and Dot curled around each other, vertigo hitting Dot so hard she didn’t think she could grip Wakko tight enough. She felt nauseous.

Scratchy set two cups of water down on their side table, alerting Dot for the first time that he had even left. 

“Do you need anything?” he asked, his voice gentle. 

Wakko started crying. 

Dot grabbed Scratchy.

“Please,” she whimpered. “Stay.”

Scratchy obliged, picking the two small toons into his arms. He sat on the bed. holding them against himself as he rested against the headboard. Hello Nurse entered not long after, spreading a blanket over the three. 

She stayed as well, petting them both.

Dot and Wakko cried until they fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, they got to work. 

They still didn’t have a solid plan, but they knew they had to get moving. Yakko’s birthday was only a few weeks away, and it would practically take that long to get to the capital, so they had to get a move on.

Scratchy packed up his cart, putting most of his elixir materials in the water tower. They made space for the Warners, Hello Nurse, Rita, Runt, and Scratchy to sleep. Slappy helped them pack up most of the planning materials. The two squirrels would follow along later. There was already a plan for traveling merchants to come into town the next day. Minerva and any other volunteers would leave then, “off to greater pastures.”

The Goodfeathers had taken off, out to let other groups know what the gist of what was happening. They were told to try to make it to the capital if possible, but to leave enough people that they could overtake their own towns.

Max said that Salazar had probably already sent out criers. The plan was to have a large parade and festival, so it wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary for so many people to be converging on the capital. 

There was a buzzing, the country felt alive for the first time in nearly a decade.

It was go time.

* * *

“We have people stationed throughout the city,” PJ said, pointing to the map of the capitol the two had produced. They all sat inside Scratchy’s cart, the knights’ horses tied to the sides without their saddles, Nurse, Rita, and Runt manning the front.

“The guards in the castle are mostly loyal to Salazar,” PJ continued. He looked up. “That’s why we’re having such a hard time actually managing a coup.”

“Dad manages all the guards in the town, and all the guards throughout the kingdom,” Max said. “He’s already sent out an order to increase the number of resistant people in the town, but we don’t know how many guards will flip and how many won’t.” Max ran a hand through his fur, giving an exasperated sigh. “This is why it’s taking so long.”

“We have only a few in the capitol,” Scratchy supplied. “Most of them are beggars or the like, people you wouldn’t notice. It’s dangerous that close to home base.”

Wakko studied the map. Dot watched him, seeing a light in his eyes and gears turning.

“So a parade,” Wakko said slowly. He looked to Max. “Do you know the route?”

Max looked to PJ.

“Well, based on tradition, he should start at the castle, head down Mainstreet, circle the main square, and then return through the shopping district back to the castle,” PJ said, tracing the route. He knit his brow. “If he wants Yakko to appear, the most populous place would be the main square. But there’s also no place where they could keep him there without it being obvious it's staged.”

Dot frowned. “So we can guess that the ‘takeover’ is probably going to happen in the castle grounds.”

“Most likely,” PJ agreed. 

“The castle is guarded by a high wall,” Max said. “It’s very difficult to get through. If we’re thinking that this will take place in the castle grounds, then people will probably be allowed in.”

Wakko studied the map again. 

Max pointed to the castle. “Yakko’s currently being held in the lowest dungeon. It’s like a dungeon beneath the dungeon. Every other prisoner is being held in the upper one.”

“So I assume getting to him is going to be hard,” Dot said. 

Max nodded. “And getting him out is going to be even harder. I don’t know if Dad can rearrange the guard to let us out fast enough without raising suspicion in the two weeks.”

“What if,” Wakko said, not taking his eyes off the map, “we _don't_ get him out?”

“Huh?” PJ asked.

Dot studied her brother. “What are you thinking, Wakko?”

Wakko looked up, a look of determination on his face. “We can’t get to Yakko, but if he’s going to be publicly executed, then he would be out in the open anyway, right?” His eyes met Dot’s. “And if he’s supposed to be playing rebel, then he probably won’t be restrained in any way.”

“What are you saying?” Max asked.

Wakko looked him dead in the eye.

“I say, we make Yakko’s rebellion real.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the vet appt went well besides my pitmix requiring 4 vet techs besides myself to trim her nails :))) This is why we go to the vet for her lol. Dashund is fine, dalmation didn't pee and in fact was very well behaved! my pitmix almost broke my glasses tho :(
> 
> Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed! Feel free to talk to me anytime on tumblr at jadencross!
> 
> See you next chapter!!


	16. The Capital

Dot was hot. She fought the urge to scratch herself, the blanket she hid under catching on her fur in a very uncomfortable way. 

Beside her, Wakko was clearly having similar issues. His hand gripped her own, his fingers digging into her arms so hard she figured she’d probably bruise in the morning. 

Rita lounged on top of the blanket, Runt covering their feet. Scratchy and Nurse headed up the cart, maintaining their posture as they waited in line.

Part of Dot was glad that Max and PJ had gone ahead, their horses bred and trained for traveling long distances in a short amount of time. Scratchy's own horse was not. Max and PJ's presence would make them stand out, getting them through faster.

The other part of Dot was very glad they weren't getting in faster. The closer they got to the front of the line the more Dot felt like she was going to pass out.

"Not much longer," Rita whispered. "The cart in front of us is getting checked."

Dot and Wakko stilled even more, even paying conscious attention to their tails for one of the first times in their lives.

The cart moved forward, and then Dot stopped breathing.

"What is your business in the capital?" came a bored voice.

"We make elixir," Scratchy replied easily. "We have come here to try to sell."

There was a long pause, and then the back door opened. Wakko stiffened next to Dot.

"These your pets?" another voice, much gruffer, asked.

"Yes," Nurse replied.

There was a grunt, and then the back door closed.

"You taking advantage of the Festival?" the first voice asked. It was Dot's turn to stiffen.

"We figured it was worth a shot," Scratchy said, faking a laugh.

"Okay, here you go." There was a shuffling sound. "If anyone asks you why you're here, just show them that paper. You and your...partner can use it to attend the feast in the castle grounds in two days, as well. That paper only lasts a week, and you need to leave after that. Don't want this place to get too crowded."

"There's a feast?" Scratchy asked, his voice surprised.

"Yup," the voice said, a bit of humor in his tone. "Our King is very generous. Now move along."

Nurse called to the horse, and they moved forward. Wakko and Dot still didn't move.

Finally, Rita shifted. "All clear."

Wakko shot up, throwing the blanket off. Dot was a bit slower, and when she got up she spotted her brother practically dancing around, scratching himself.

Nurse laughed, reaching out to get his back. He sighed, his foot thumping and tail wagging as he sunk into the ground.

"I think I'm allergic to wool," he said, his voice slightly slurred. Dot laughed.

\-------------------------------

Dot and Wakko peaked out of the window as Scratchy drove. Dot was amazed. Yakko had shown her all manner of cities, and she knew that the capital was the biggest, and yet it still blew her away.

There were practically no houses less than two stories, all made of wood and some were even painted. There were lampposts everywhere. Flags were being strung up, emblazoned with the bright red emblem of Tiktockia. The people were dressed nicer, everyone looking better fed. Stores were still open and thriving, even toy shops and the like.

Of course, there were still signs that things weren't perfect. Beggars could be seen on the streets. Some houses were more worn down. But it was a much nicer place than Lotsville, and it was a million more times nicer than Acme Falls.

The cart rolled to a halt. Dot and Wakko glanced up front. Scratchy and Hello Nurse were helping an older human man into the cart.

"Thank you so much," the man said, stepping into the back. Nurse followed, helping him sit down.

"It's no problem," she said, smiling

The man's eyes caught on the Warners. Immediately, they began to water.

"It's two blocks away," he said, not taking his eyes off the two toons. "The Knight's Inn. A room has already been prepared.

Nurse smiled, patting the man on the shoulder. He glanced at the Warners, giving them a thumbs up, before stepping back up front to give the instructions to Scratchy.

"You're really them," he said, his voice soft. "The Prince and Princess."

Dot and Wakko gave an awkward bow.

A tear slipped down the man's cheek and he turned, wiping it away. "Apologies," he said, straightening himself. "My name is Guy. I was once a servant of your parents."

"Nice to meet you," Dot said. Of course the author couldn't come up with a name and just called him Guy.

Guy just stared at them again. "My," he said, his voice soft, "how you've grown."

Wakko shifted uncomfortably. "You're part of the resistance, aren't you?

Guy's eyes widened. "Oh, yes!" He cleared his throat. "Sorry, This is just...so much."

"Sure is," Dot deadpanned.

"After receiving your message, we made contact with Head Knight Goofy." Guy took on a much more serious look. "We have combined our networks. Sir Max has taken out a room at the inn. Sir Pete has taken out another. You are to stay in Sir PJ's room. Sir Max will come to you when available." Guy gave a devious smile. "The innkeeper is one of ours."

\--------------------------------

They let Guy off a block later. They arrived at the Knight's Inn shortly after.

It was incredibly fancy. Guards came and went, laughing happily. It was packed with people, surely due to the coming celebration.

In order to get into the Inn, Wakko and Dot put on a few disguises that they had been given by Guy.

Dot replaced her flower and Wakko his cap with matching brimless hats that covered their ears. On the outside were toon ears in the style of a cat. They could stick their own ears into the pockets, at least partially, to make them look and move authentically.

They used a dye Slappy had made to color the whites of their feet grey. Over this, they wore open-soled shoes. They put on cloaks that hid most of their faces and features. From the outside, they looked like two twin cat toons.

They followed Scratchy and Hello Nurse inside. Dot held Rita while Wakko led Runt. They kept their heads down, acting like servants. It was nerve-wracking, and the ear hats were incredibly uncomfortable, but they safely made it to their room.

Once inside, Wakko and Dot immediately removed the hats, shaking out their ears. Wakko grabbed his ears, stretching them while the others got settled. 

“I hate these hats already,” Wakko said, rubbing his head.

“You wore them for less than an hour,” Rita pointed out. 

“Don’t remind us,” Dot groaned. 

"So how many people here are with us?" Scratchansniff asked, stretching his back after the long ride.

"Guy said the innkeeper was one of ours, and I assume that at least some of the knights are involved," Dot replied. "Max is supposed to be coming over when available."

Right on cue, a knock sounded on the door.

Dot and Wakko backed up, hunkering down behind the bed. Rita jumped onto the bed, as Nurse answered the door.

"Oh, hello PJ," she said. Wakko and Dot straightened, Wakko setting his elbows on the bed.

PJ entered the room with a slight bow, Nurse closing the door behind him. He bit his lip.

"So," he said, his eyes at the floor and his hands fiddling with the feather on his helmet.

Dot frowned. She crossed her arms. "So?" she replied.

PJ looked up, still biting his lip. "Max and Sir Goofy managed to move shifts around so that he can visit Yakko," he said. His eyes locked on Dot's. "You two can go with him."

Beside her, Wakko stiffened. Dot felt her heart soar.

"Really?" she asked, her voice soft. "We can see him?"

PJ grimaced. "Yeah," he said, looking down again.

"What's wrong?" Wakko asked, his voice soft and slightly shaky.

PJ paused. "You're just not going to like what you see," he said eventually. "It's not a...nice place."

"I don't care," Dot said, her voice strong. "I want to see my brother."

Beside her, Wakko started fiddling with his own shirt. PJ's eyes went to Wakko.

"I'll be back in about an hour," he said. He gave another slight bow. "You can decide who goes."

And with that, he left.

Immediately, Dot turned to Wakko.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice harsher than she had intended.

Wakko flinched.

Scratchy cleared his throat. "In order to keep up the ruse, Nurse and I need to try selling the elixirs we made," he said.

Nurse frowned, before shrugging.

Rita stood, stretching. "Runt and I are going to head around town, see if we can talk to any other animals around here. We look like strays so we could be able to blend in."

"Oh yes, we're good spies!" Runt said, wagging his nub tail. "Definitely, definitely good spies."

Wakko and Dot didn't move as the room's other occupants left.

Dot still stared at Wakko.

"What's wrong?" she asked again, her voice much softer.

Wakko fiddled with his shirt again, not looking at her. He bit his lip.

"I don't remember Yakko at all," he finally blurted.

Dot blinked.

"I've heard you talking about him a lot," Wakko continued, clearly on a roll now, "and you always compare me to him. But I don't know him! And everyone speaks so highly of him and he's the one who's going to take over and--" he bit his lip.

"What if he doesn't like me?" he finished with a whisper.

"Huh?" Dot asked, completely baffled.

Wakko huffed. "You got to hang out with him for two months. I've only known you for one," he said. "You two survived in the wilderness while I just sat at home. I couldn't even come get you, or figure out where he was."

Dot took a step forward. "Wakko," she started, her voice soft. "You definitely didn't just sit at home." She pulled his head up so he would look at her. "I mean, yes, you didn't leave Acme Falls, but you didn't do  _ nothing _ . You became a head of a rebellion! You have a network big enough for us to finally overthrow Salazar! You made tough decisions, and became a leader in a way that Yakko and I haven't."

Wakko looked away again. "But still," he said, "I wasn't with you."

Dot's face fell. Her tail twitched. She put a hand on Wakko's shoulder, starting to sit on the floor.

"I was," she said, as he settled, still not looking at her, "and I still couldn't do anything."

Wakko didn't say anything for a moment.

"I don't really remember our parents," he admitted. "Sure, I remember their faces and their room, and I even have a couple memories of Mom singing to me but..." He trailed off.

"You don't remember what they were  _ like _ ," Dot supplied. Wakko's gaze shot up to hers, and she smiled. "You don't remember their voices, or the way they held you. You don't remember the songs they sang, nor do you remember how they treated us, or how we played together."

Wakko's eyes started watering. "I know they were kind," he said softly. "I know they loved us. But I don't remember how they showed it."

A silence fell over them. It was somber and aching, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

When Dot had brought up their parents, it had been clear that Yakko remembered them. He remembered Dot's birth, and Wakko's, and the games they would play and the songs Mom would sing and the stories they told. Dot had felt alone, in that moment, some deeper part of her hoping that maybe, Wakko would understand the type of loss she felt.

Yakko missed his parents because he remembered them. Dot missed them because she didn't. She felt robbed in a way that she couldn't particularly articulate.

And now, Wakko was admitting he felt the same.

"I don't remember Yakko, either," Wakko said finally. "I don't remember if we played, or got along. I don't know if we fought or not. I don't remember  _ him _ ."

He looked up. "I was so scared that you would hate me." Dot's eyes widened in surprise. "I was so scared that we wouldn't get along. That the family I had waited for wouldn't wait for me, either."

Dot stared at him for a moment.

"Yakko missed you," she said. "He talked about how excited he was to see you." Wakko looked to her, his eyes wide.

"I can't tell you what it was like before," she said, scooting closer and leaning against him, "but I can tell you who he is now. He loves you, and he misses you. Sure, maybe you'll fight in the future, but you shouldn't be afraid because of 'maybe.'"

Beside her, she felt Wakko relax. His tail began lazily swishing back and forth. He rested his cheek against the top of her head.

"I knew my sister was smarter than me," he said, his voice lighter.

"Not smarter," she said, smiling herself, thinking back to when Yakko had said essentially the same thing.

"I just know I'm not alone anymore."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I'm pretty sure that mad dash was due to me having a medicated manic episode or something. I have bipolar, and my medicine works very well, so manic episodes just manifest as me having more energy to finish projects lol
> 
> It's passed, however, so now I'll probably get going back to a normal human speed lol. I have some more traveling coming up, but I won't be doing any of the driving so I could potentially write more but we'll see.
> 
> Anyways, I feel like now is the time to admit that I've never seen goof troop and I only watched the Goofy movies as a kid so my characterization may be off but who cares!! the Warner characterizations are due to the circumstances, though lol
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! See you next chapter!


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